Power Rangers: Omega SEASON ONE
by Black Dragon1
Summary: The first fourteen episodes of my epic adventure during the age of Omega
1. From Ashes and The Sea

POWER RANGERS OMEGA

Series Premiere: From Ashes and The Sea

****

The silence of the darkened room is shattered by the sounds of yelling.  Suddenly, light begins flickering, briefly illuminating a person in its warm yellow glow.  "Haaaaaaaa!!!!"  The scream resonates against the barren walls as now the entire room is bathed in the yellow luminescence.  Several seconds pass, and the light fades, plunging the room back into darkness.  

_"Maurice," ventures Trini, still wary about interrupting the young man during one of his training sessions.  Although closer to fifty than she'd like to admit, the original Yellow Ranger still embodied a beauty that females many years her junior could not obtain.  The battle scarred youth turns around and in four steady strides, stands before her. _

_"Yes?" he inquires, conveying neither sarcasm nor sincerity._

_"Kim just wanted to know if you and Tommy would go out for supplies."_

_Popping his neck he replies, "Of course.  After I shower, bring me a list and the kid and I will attend to it then."  Walking past her, he exits the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts. _

_Omega sits upon his throne of gold and obsidian, his head bowed in consternation.  For the last three years, his attempts of ridding the world of the last two Rangers had proven fruitless.  Even his two best agents, Lion Heart and Silver Guardian were unable to produce the desired result.  Granted, the Rangers' newly rediscovered ability to teleport complicated matters, but even that should not have allowed them to continue breathing this long.  Lifting his head, his cobalt gaze drifts over to the monitor observing Professor Brendan's laboratory._

_"Professor," his low baritone voice booms through the transmitter.  _

_On the receiving end, the Professor looks up from his computer.  "Yes Omega?" a hint of annoyance permeating his voice._

_"When will that new device of yours be operational?"_

_"Soon, perhaps another 72 hours if uninterrupted." _

_"Do I detect insolence in your voice Professor?"_

_"Of course not my lord.  May I be excused now?"_

_"You may."  He cuts the signal and returns to his thoughts._

_Tommy stares vacantly out of the passenger window.  The destruction surrounding him no longer disturbed his sleep as it once had.  Miles upon miles of wasteland accompanied them on their silent journey to New Hope, perhaps the one true monument left to attest to the indomitable human spirit.  _

_New Hope arose from the ashes of Los Angeles.  Boasting the world's only fully recovered city, the Rangers make certain that it remains intact.  Although not the expansive metropolis it once was, New Hope also has the distinction for most citizens at just over 500,000._

_As the truck approaches the billboard advertising the city limits, Tommy takes the opportunity to break the accustomed silence with a question._

_"Do you think things will ever get better?"  Maurice eases on the brake, slowing bringing the truck to a stop._

_"What brought about that inquiry?" he asks, turning to face his young partner._

_"It's just that every time we come here, I feel that there may just be hope for this world after all.  But once we leave, that hope diminishes as I realize that for all the progress made, Omega can easily destroy this city and countless others."_

_"It's a reality we must face and endure with each passing hour.  We are entrusted with bringing about his final and complete defeat.  Right now, there is no room for second guessing our abilities or the hope that we will put an end to his reign."  He tosses the young man a quick smirk.  "Now shut up and let's get those supplies."  Tommy smiles despite his mood and the two of them drive the truck into the city._

_"Praying Mantis?" inquires Kimberly, leaning against the doorway as she watches Trini complete a kata routine._

_"My favorite style," she replies, turning around to greet her long time friend.  The two females had been friends even before they had been chosen by Zordon to combat the evil forces too powerful for normal law enforcement to handle.  30 years tested their friendship and yet it endured as though they had only met recently.  _

_Sitting on the couch, Trini stretches her legs out and crosses them on the coffee table.  Kimberly sits beside her and curls her legs into her body as the two of them opt to watch a movie to pass the remaining time before the boys would return.  Just before the disc is inserted into the viewer, a news broadcast stops Trini from pressing the play button._

_"…I repeat, a group of soldiers has attacked an armored truck with a shipment of microprocessors.  The guards are holding their own for the moment, but it appears they will soon be overpowered."  Trini looks over at Kimberly, who is already attempting to locate Maurice's frequency._

_"That's the last box," Tommy says, stacking the box of frozen meat atop the others in the refrigerated area of the truck.  "What else is on the list?"  He jumps down and lands next to Maurice, who quickly scans the list._

_"Two more items."  His sentence is cut short by the beeping emanating from his communicator.  "What's up?" he inquires, bringing his wrist to his mouth._

_"The two of you are needed in Houston, like 10 minutes ago."_

_"On our way.  Maurice out."  He lowers his arm.  "Well kid, it's that time again."  He presses a button on his key chain and arms the truck's theft deterrent device.  Making certain that no one is observing them, Maurice nods._

_Nodding in return, Tommy reaches behind his back and retrieves his morpher, a slightly renovated version of his father's original.  Thrusting it forward, he yells "Dragon Zord!!!"  Instantly, an aura of green surrounds him as his clothing is replaced with the molded green Kevlar like material that protects his body from the majority of attacks he encounters in the field.  The familiar helmet from his father's original costume completes the transformation, which lasts perhaps eight-tenths of a second._

_Twisting his wrist slightly, a small wrist mounted processor materializes on each of Maurice's forearms.  Crossing his arms over his chest in an "X" the two processors click together then shine a brilliant light.  A suit much like Tommy's appears on Maurice only his is as dark as midnight.  Dialing in the coordinates on the miniature computer, Black Ranger and Green Ranger teleport to the city of Houston, Texas, one of many larger cities attempting to recover and duplicate New Hope's gains._

_The soldiers cease their mindless beating of the two semi-conscious guards and turn to greet their guests._

_"Enough," Black Ranger states bluntly, slamming his fist into the helmet of one of the soldiers.  Even as the plastic cracks, Black Ranger swings his leg into a sidekick that knocks down another soldier.  Meanwhile, Green Ranger somersaults into the air and drives both feet into another soldier's chest.  Flipping back to his feet, he spin sweeps another, and using his momentum, stands and slams his heel into the side of yet another soldier's head.  Turning around, he stomps the head of the soldier he swept, ensuring that he would not cause trouble for the rest of the battle.  Black Ranger plants his foot on the stomach of one of the remaining four soldiers and uses it to propel his knee into the side of said soldier's chin.  As the soldier collapses, Black Ranger turns and ducks, catching a kick across his shoulder.  Absorbing the shock from the blow, he pulls the soldier into a split.  Maurice then proceeds to smash the soldier's helmet with his leg.  Green Ranger back elbows one soldier, jump kicks another, and while in mid-air, turns and punches the first soldier in the throat.  Black Ranger blocks the punches and kicks thrown by the last two soldiers.  Catching the leg of one, he swings the soldier into his companion, knocking him off balance.  Still holding onto the soldier's leg, Black Ranger jerks the soldier into a stiff clothesline.  He catches the last soldier's punch and pushes his forearm back into his chest.  Lashing out with his foot, he drives the heel of his boot into the soldier's sternum.  Green Ranger lands next to him after a high somersault._

_"You jump too much," Black Ranger comments, releasing the arm of the fallen soldier._

_"You're just jealous because you can't do it as well as me."  Green Ranger walks over to one of the guards regaining his composure.  "You okay?" he asks, extending his hand.  The groggy guard accepts the hand and is helped to his feet._

_"Fine.  Thanks for the save.  These microprocessors are vital for Houston's restoration."_

_Maurice inspects the inside of the storage truck. _

_"Nothing appears to be damaged," he states, gripping the side of the overturned vehicle.  Tommy turns and grips it as well.  Soon, the truck is back on all four wheels.  "Take care of yourselves."  Maurice and Tommy teleport away, leaving the guards to their work._

_"Damn it!" yells Professor Brendan, reading the results of his latest reconnaissance.  All nine of his colleague's hypnotized henchmen were unconscious and the microprocessors were well on their way to Simpson Inc.  "I should have sent one of my creations.  Incompetent humans."  Stalking over to one of the twelve containment units adorning the back wall of his laboratory, he notes the status of the being within.  "You'll do nicely, my child."  A sinister smile curls the corners of his lips as he races back to his computer and begins frantically keying in logistics._

_"Hi there," Green Ranger says, addressing the cute young girl standing next to their truck. _

_"You're a Power Ranger," she states bluntly.  "I hate you."  She throws a rock.  Tommy takes a step back after the rock glances harmlessly off his armor.  The little girl runs off._

_"It's to be expected," Black Ranger comments, placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder.  "Many people share her view.  Many believe it to be our fault for the deaths of their family members.  All we can do is what we do best."_

_"I understand."  He lifts his head and looks around.  "All clear by the way."  The two of them convert back to their civilian attire.  Climbing back into the truck the two of them begin the long journey back home._

_The ebon skinned young man sits cross-legged in a shadowy corner of his room.  His emotionless gaze directed at the floor, his mind is overwhelmed with thoughts of the war that raged throughout his life.  To sacrifice one's soul is not the easiest of decisions and he had done so as if it were the most commonplace of things.  A small smile distorts his features into more of a caricature of himself as he places a hand on the ground and stands to his full height._

_"Silver," crackles the p.a. system located just above his head. "The master wishes an audience with you."  The smile leaves his face as he extends his palm out.  A faint silvery glow begins extending from his palm.  The glow soon becomes wisps of light and shoot back at him.  Moments later, a full body metallic armor covers him and he exits the room._

_Tommy easily carries a box of meat on each shoulder and walks the six or seven steps to the nearest cabinet.  Setting them down, he wipes a few beads of perspiration from his forehead.  As if reading his mind, Trini tosses him and ice cold bottle of water.  Placing it against his head, he smiles._

_"Thanks sexy lady."  He uncaps it and downs the bottle's contents in three gulps._

_"Watch your mouth.  I'm too old to be sexy."  She smiles back at him and begins stocking the walk-in freezer.  Maurice exits as she enters, giving her a low humph to acknowledge her presence.  _

_"Is that everything?" Maurice questions the young man._

_"Yep.  All we need to do now is catalogue and inventory it all."_

_"Then my services are not needed at the moment.  I'll be back in a few hours."_

_"Where are you disappearing to now?" inquires Kimberly, who just entered the kitchen._

_"None of you concern. I do as I please, when I please."  Turning, he flings his jacket over his bare shoulder and exits._

_"What's with him?" Kimberly asks bitterly._

_"You know how he gets sometimes," Trini replies.  _

_"Doesn't excuse him from showing a little respect."  Kimberly._

_"Yeah, you have a point there," she replies, removing the wrapper from a banana pudding cup._

_"Do you understand your mission?" queries Omega, looking down from his throne upon the statue-still Silver Guardian._

_"Yes sire.  Fight with the Rangers while the robot retrieves the microprocessors."_

_"Good.  Now go."  Silver Guardian bows, then fades away into the darkness._

_"Okay class, remember that tomorrow is our vocabulary exam.  And that's it for today.  Bye kids."_

_"Bye Miss Edwards," the class responds in unison.  They all rise from their desks, engaging in small chatter as they each make their exit.  Billy, one of the smaller students, tugs on her waistband.  Bending down, Keisha kisses the child on the forehead and watches as he smiles before leaving._

_"You know you're good with them."  Keisha turns around to find Maurice draped in his full-length leather jacket leaning against the doorway nonchalantly.  _

_"Excuse me sir, but do I know you?" she replies sarcastically, turning away from him and shuffling a pile of papers on the corner of her desk._

_"Cute."  He unfolds his arms and walks over to her.  "How have you been?"_

_Whirling around quickly, she finds herself face to face with him.  "So you're suddenly concerned with my welfare.  How long has it been this time?  Two years?"_

_"Eighteen months, two weeks, three days, thirteen hours, and fifteen seconds to be exact."_

_"Always the comedian."  Backing away from him, she sits on her desk and crosses her legs, her skirt riding up just enough to expose her knees.  Maurice looks his friend over.  Every opportunity he got to see her confused him about why he did not visit more often.  Suddenly, he feels a sting across his cheek.  Instinctively his hand touches the spot and he realizes that he had just been slapped.  She prepares to slap him again, but centimeters from impact, he catches her wrist._

_"The first one stung."  He rubs her palm against his face and her own features soften somewhat and eventually a smile adorns her face._

_"Why did you wait so long this time?"_

_"Duty calls.  Reconstruction is slow with all the attacks.  If it weren't for the Power Rangers…"  She silences him with her finger._

_"Please, let's not discuss them right now.  I know they're protecting us from Omega, but for some reason I can't seem to trust them."_

_"Understandable."  He leans closer and hugs her._

_Tommy stands at the edge of the docks devoid of his uniform.  Holding the Dragon Dagger in the palms of both hands, he kneels.  "Father, I miss you so much."  The dagger glows as if infused with his father's spirit.  "I will avenge you.  I swear it."_

The view atop the brand new edifice is breathtaking.  Even the Silver Guardian concedes to this observation.  What city am I in, he inquires of himself.  He randomly picked a locale for his battle against the Rangers.   Unsheathing his Silver Saber, he directs the blade towards the diminishing sunlight, allowing the reflection to blind anyone looking in his vicinity.

_"Omega wishes you to prepare the Cyclotron for operation."  Professor Brendan looks up from his computer and glares at the bestial Lion Heart._

_"When does he need it?"_

_"Standing by."  The man-beast exits the room, his cape wafting dramatically behind him._

_Trini looks up from her cup of coffee, a wistful look gracing her face._

_Ever since she first donned a power suit, her senses somehow became attuned to the evil present in the world.  Throughout the years, she had honed it to detect the location of more potent evils such as monsters, robots, and humans with strong life forces.  Now, that gift washes over her._

_"Trouble."_

_Miles away, Maurice sits on the ledge of the fountain outside in the courtyard.  Next to him, Keisha rests her head on his shoulder and thinks of days since passed.  Suddenly, a faint beeping sound arouses her from her reminiscing.  _

_"What is it?" she inquires, not moving her head from his shoulder._

_"Trouble at the store.  I have to go."  He caresses the top of her head and attempts to stand, but she quickly wraps her arms around him._

_"Promise me that you'll come back before another eighteen months passes."_

_Maneuvering in order to look her in the eyes, he responds, "I promise."  Her grip slackens and he casually walks away from her back through the door leading into the hallway of the apartment building.  Once out of site, he ducks into a closet, where he answers the distress signal, morphs, and teleports to the site of the disturbance._

_A hidden smile graces the masked features of the Silver Guardian as his guest materializes behind him._

_"About time you showed up," he remarks, his blade still trained in the same direction it had been earlier.  The golden ball of light has since descended beyond the horizon and their battlefield atop the building is illuminated by the faint glow of lights scattered amongst the ledges.  Turning to face the Black Ranger, Silver Guardian places the blade of his saber across his shoulder._

_"Nice to see you too Silver," the Black Ranger responds, folding his arms across his chest.  "Mind explaining to me why you're here in the middle of New Jersey?"_

_"So that's where we are.  Not that it matters where since any place I get to fight you is as good as any."  Bringing his blade down to his side, he strikes a stance.  "Care to dance with me Ranger?"_

_"Never was much of a dancer, so how about I just kick your ass.  Power Sword!"  The legendary sword materializes in his grasp and in the space of a heartbeat, the two swords clash against one another for the first, then second time.  Somersaulting back, Silver springs forward with a thrust that is avoided.  The Black Ranger counters with a wide arcing slash.  Silver swings his arm back, catching the blow on the side of his saber.  He then throws a roundhouse kick that grazes the Ranger's shoulder.  The Black Ranger takes a step back and then readies himself as Silver twirls his sword in an attempt to mask his true intent._

_Tommy stands patiently over Trini's shoulder as she keys in the code that will reinitialize the subroutine that connected the Dragon Dagger to the Dragon Zord._

_"How much longer?" the young man complains, anxious to test out his father's old Zord._

_"Patience.  This is very delicate.  Zordon created these machinations many centuries ago.  Some of the coding has been lost.  Why don't you go help fight the Silver Guardian?"  _

_"And ruin Maurice's fun?  The guy lives to fight Silver. Besides, he'd kick my butt if I interfere."_

_"Then get that butt of yours to Houston," interjects Kimberly, poking her head through the doorway of the room the group used as a command post.  "Apparently our scanners were being blocked and this robot has infiltrated the high security complex where those microprocessors you guys rescued earlier are being held."_

_"Consider me there.  Dragon Zord!" The moment he is clad in his dark green armor, the Green Ranger teleports as close to the Robot as possible._

_Hell Cat, one of Professor Brendan's favorite creations, stands seven feet tall.  Razor sharp talons capable of slicing through nearly any substance comprised its primary arsenal, but standard optical lasers accompanied them.  Green Ranger lands a solid kick to the robot's head, yet the robot barely registers the assault._

_"So you're ignoring me, huh.  Okay, have it your way."  Grabbing the robot by one of its legs, he tugs on it, bringing the robot crashing to the floor.  Holding on, Green Ranger spins as fast as he can, until his momentum allows him to lift the six or so hundred pound robot several inches from the ground.  As he releases it, he falls back as the robot plows through a solid concrete wall as if it were made from paper._

_Shaking the disorientation from his head, Green Ranger runs over to the hole, dagger drawn.  "What the…"  His astonishment is trumped by greater surprise when he feels an iron clad grip around his ankle.  In the short duration between Green Ranger getting up and checking the damage, Hell Cat had managed to burrow under him and latch on the grip.  Retrieving his blaster, Green Ranger fires several blasts into Hell Cat's wrist until it finally relinquishes its grip.  "Maybe I should have went with Maurice," he remarks, limping away from the emergence of Hell Cat._

_As if every other sound in the immediate area were muted, the repeated clash of metal is deafening.  A diagonal slash mark stretching from shoulder blade to just above his waistline reveals the mahogany skin of the Black Ranger.  A small dent in the abdomen of the Silver Guardian divulges that he had been stabbed with considerable force to dent the alloy that comprised his suit.  Several minutes drag on like hours.  For every blocked or countered thrust or parry, a foot or fist would find its mark on the other opponent.  Suddenly, the Silver Guardian holds out his hand._

_"Wait. Hear that?"_

_"Quit stalling.  What are you talking about?"  Black Ranger maintains his stance._

_"Listen."  In the distance, a faint rumble can be heard.  Activating his scanners, Black Ranger notes the cause of the rumbling, which grows louder each moment._

_"A robot."_

_"A big one.  Well, guess that cuts our battle short.  Hope you have a Zord to fight that thing off.  Until next time."  The Silver Guardian glows intensely than vanishes._

_"Not good.  Not good at all."  He can now discern some of the robot's features.  One large optical receptor is set in its forehead.  Several silo-like openings garnish its forearms.  Everything else is hidden behind the few skyscrapers left.  "Now of never.  I just wish I had a chance to test it out."  The Power Sword dematerializes, and he keys in a password on his gauntlet.  "Arise Black Dragon Zord."  _

_Beneath layers of magma within a subterranean lair, the Thunder Zord once controlled by Jason lies dormant no more.  Revitalized and redesigned, the Red Dragon Thunder Zord is now obsidian black.  Ruby eyes flicker open as if the Dragon is awakening from an imposed slumber.  A low growl shakes loose stalactites and other sediment not firmly entrenched.  The growl exudes a power far too long suppressed and prepared to utilize once more.  Arching its neck, the massive head splits the surface, allowing streams of molten rock to rain upon its exoskeleton.  Slowly, the creature stands on all fours, then its hind legs, using the forelegs to pull itself free.  Shaking off the molten rock as if droplets of water, it roars once more before taking flight._

_Green Ranger bounces off the rear wall of the vault as Hell Cat hefts the ton of bent steel the once was the door above its head.  As if no burden at all, the contorted entrance is flung at the prone Ranger.  Moments before impact, he is teleported away._

_"What, where?" Tommy babbles, holding his head.  He looks around and finds himself lying on the couch, still dressed with the exception of his helmet._

_"The robot has to wait.  We have more pressing matters."  Trini helps the young man into a seated position._

_"More like bigger troubles," Kimberly corrects, directing Tommy's attention to the monitor. _

_Engaged in battle are two huge mechanical monsters.  One obviously the redesigned Red Dragon Thunder Zord that Maurice had been working on and the other one of Omega's creations.  The cyclopean robot has the upper hand, pummeling the Dragon Zord with punches that obviously were jarring Maurice within the cockpit._

_"Is it ready?"  Tommy asks, reaching for his helmet on the coffee table._

_"As ready as I can have it," Trini replies._

_"Okay then.  Guess it's time to save the world."  He stumbles a few steps and the two ladies catch him._

_"You sure you're up to it."_

_"Of course.  I'm a Power Ranger and I will not dishonor my father's legacy by giving in to a few scrapes and a small concussion."  He forces himself to stand erect and teleports to the docks of former Angel Grove._

_"He is his father's son," Kimberly says aloud, tears threatening to leave her eyes.  Trini wraps a supportive arm around her old friend._

_The wharf had seen better days.  Not since the days of the evil Green Ranger had it been so ravaged.  Green Ranger limps to the edge of a building for all the docks and platforms that had been destroyed were still under construction.  Taking several deep, cleansing breaths, he removes the dagger from its sheathe.  The mouth peace of his helmet retracts and reveals his lips.  Rehearsing the notes mentally, he begins playing the tune that hopefully would restore one of the most powerful Zords back to action._

_Although fighting at nearly 123% of its potential since transforming to its warrior mode, the Black Dragon Zord is still being handed a series of blows that nearly render Black Ranger unconscious.  His entire offense consisted of two well placed punches that staggered the other robot and a kick that grounded it for less than twenty seconds, not even long enough to gain back enough composure to initiate a follow up strategy.  An overhead smash sends the Black Dragon Zord crashing into the concrete, triggering a small seismic disturbance.  The Cyclotron stomps on the lower back of the Black Dragon, sending shockwaves that toss Black Ranger back and forth like a crash test dummy._

_With dry lips and sore throat, Tommy plays the melody one last time.  Just like the twenty-three previous times, nothing occurs.  Not even the smallest spray of seawater signifying that even fish were present.  Collapsing from exhaustion, he sits, pondering what to do.  _

_"Only one alternative."  Struggling to his feet, he concentrates, and then leaps from the building, breaking the surface of the still waters feet first._

_Reverting back to Dragon Mode, Black Dragon Zord peppers the Cyclotron with quick bursts of fire, hoping to at least gain some ground in the battle.  The flames do little but conceal it from view for moments at a time.  Cyclotron accepts the flames as if they were a gift.  With reflexes much too quick for Black Dragon Zord's sensors to detect, its tail is grabbed by Cyclotron._

_"Damn it.  I can't shake it."  Black Ranger diverts power to the primary and secondary boosters to little avail.  He succeeds in dragging the robot along with him, but its grip is as tight as before.  It is then he realizes the robot is only using one hand.  An inhuman laugh resonates through the Zord as the other hand grasps hold and begins spinning the Zord faster and faster.  The G-forces nearly crush the wind out of Black Ranger's lungs as he has no other alternative but to teleport out.  He lands several buildings away, watching as his Zord crashes through a building and plows through several feet of pavement before coming to a stop._

_Tommy sits in the cockpit of the Dragon Zord.  His helmet rests on the console as he sucks down as much precious oxygen as his lungs will allow.  The swim taxed his body to the point that he nearly blacked out from oxygen deprivation.  Taking a few moments to orient himself, he initiates the manual boot up routine and prays for a miracle._

_"I've got to be out of my mind," Black Ranger admonishes himself, running back towards the fallen Zord.  Cyclotron, bored with an inactive opponent, had begun a rampage heading directly for the inhabited areas of the city.  Running with speed unbeknownst to him, Black Ranger reaches the Zord and climbs inside.  It roars back to life and instantly, he commands it to fly head first at full throttle into the small of the Cyclotron's back.  Moments later, the jarring impact of the blow sends the robot face first into the pavement.  Black Ranger blinks away the white threatening to overtake his sight.  Switching to Warrior Mode, he quickly descends upon the robot, which is only to one knee, and begins laying in punch after punch, staggering the mechanized beast and keeping it momentarily off balance.  A final blow knocks the Cyclotron's right hand off as it attempts to block.  _

_"What the hell?" Black Ranger exclaims, noticing that the hands will no longer respond to his commands.  "System froze.  How could I be so careless?  So stupid!"  He slams his hands across the console and the lights dim.  The inhumane laughter of the Cyclotron returns him from his pity party as it pummels the Zord with its one good hand.  Black Dragon Zord falls once more, this time for good as all systems are stalled.  Just as Cyclotron approaches the fallen Zord, several rockets strike it in the head, pitching it forward into another headfirst dive into the pavement._

_Three blocks away, the original Dragon Zord roars in anticipation to finish off their opponent._

_"You okay in there?" inquires Green Ranger, already arming another rocket assault._

_"Just peachy.  I can't move."_

_"Then let me finish this."  Ten steps later, the Dragon Zord has covered the space separating it from the fray.  Blocking a punch from the now standing Cyclotron, it counters with a slash across the chest.  Jumping up, the Zord drives its entire weight into Cyclotron's chest.  Pinning the creature down, Dragon Zord bites down on Cyclotron's neck, ripping it open and exposing complex networks of circuitry.  Arming the missiles, it fires them point blank into the orifice.  The explosion rocks every building to its foundation in a three-block radius.  Unscathed, the Dragon Zord stands and shoulders the Black Dragon Zord.  _

_"I thought they'd all been annihilated."  If Omega were capable of conveying facial expressions, disgust and utter animosity would be prevalent.  "Brendan! You had better get to work on a superior model right away."  Omega rises from his throne and in a rare outburst, fires a dark sphere of energy that crashes through several walls of his tower before making its exit and destroying a mountain range in the distance.  "Much better."  He sits back down and ponders what his next move should be._

_"Now where did he go?"  Kimberly asks, setting the pan of meatloaf in the center of the table.  Before her hands even release the pan's sides, Tommy is already cutting out a portion.  "A little hungry aren't we?"_

_"Haven't eaten all day."  He begins stuffing his mouth with the dish.  "This. Is. Gotta.  Be.  The. Best.  Meatloaf.  Ever," he says between bites._

_Maurice yawns.  Four hours ago, he had begun working on repairing and modifying his Zord.  Wiping the dampness from his brow, he places the omni-tool on the workbench and walks over to the service elevator.  Ascending to the level even with the Black Dragon Zord's eyes, he peers into them, as if searching the artificial beast's soul in order to better understand his own._

_Once again devoid of his suit, the Silver Guardian sits alone in his corner.  At his feet is a plain manila folder, its contents strewn across the floor.  _

_"You are a fool," he says just above a whisper, alluding to his current master.  "These two will topple you and I will be united with my family once more."   Resting just out of reach of his left hand is a picture of a beautiful caramel colored woman with raven black hair dressed in a plain white t-shirt and a pair of black jeans.  Sitting in her lap is a chubby little boy with wisps of black hair on his hair.  Standing next to her is a slightly older boy, his grin wide and displaying his teeth.  _

_THE END, For Now._

_Next Time on Power Rangers: Omega – Tommy continues in his attempts to awaken the Dragon Zord with just the flute.  Meanwhile, Maurice must resuce Keisha after Tigress abducts her.  Stay tuned for the next exiting episode of Power Rangers: Omega._


	2. Abduction

POWER RANGERS: OMEGA

Episode 2: Connections

****

Lion Heart tears through the meat with his fangs, blood staining his ample facial hair.  Silver Guardian looks up from his meal, the look of disgust masked behind his helmet.

_"If you insist on eating in such a manner, I refuse to eat lunch with you again."  Lion Heart's predilection for eating in such a way often left Silver unable to complete his meal, something Lion Heart did purposely.  But due to the hunger ravishing his stomach from three days of not eating, the crimson stains in his companions beard and on his talons did not deter him this time as he begins shoveling food through his mouthpiece.  Lion Heart growls in annoyance, but says nothing as spatters of blood and bits of masticated food from his voracious consumption land near, but never on Silver's plate._

_Maurice looks up from his monitor and leans back in his chair.  Blinking his eyes several times, he glances at his watch, noting the early, or in his case, late hour of six thirty.  Yawning deeply, he resumes keying in the upgrade commands he had begun working on five hours earlier._

_Trini flawlessly demonstrates her martial arts prowess as once again she engages in a Praying Mantis kata routine.  Tommy, his body not quite as awake as his mind, opts to simply observe her from the weight bench, leaning forward against a barbell with five hundred pounds attached to it.  At the conclusion of her set, she stretches and Tommy claps approvingly._

_"Have I ever told you how great you look, I mean are," he smiles at his intentional slip of the tongue._

_"Too much if you ask me," she replies with a smile.  Grabbing a towel from the rack in the corner, she heads towards the shower.  Turning she says with as much innocence as she can conjure up, "You wanna watch?"  The 16-year-old boy nearly hits his head against the bar at the request.  "Just teasing."  She walks in and closes the door behind her.  Moments later, her bra lands in his lap and Tommy is left with an unusual feeling in his pants._

_Omega casts his dark eyes upon the holographic representation of the remaining cities in the world.  More than twenty of the areas he personally destroyed were emerging from their tombs and bustling with, albeit small, populaces.  _

_"In five years time I nearly conquered the entire planet and killed 30 Power Rangers along the way.  Now, 16 years later, I cannot defeat two children pretending to be Power Rangers.  Unacceptable!"  His rage manifests itself into the shaking of his inner sanctum.  As his anger subsides, so do the tremors that most likely threw more than one of his minions off balance.  Turning to face a monitor, his gaze falls upon the super imposed images of the Black and Green Rangers.  Below them, all data compiled from previous encounters scrolled continuously up and down in four separate columns.  "Useless."  He dismisses the monitor in a more subdued voice as his devious mind formulates yet another method that hopefully would not fail him._

_A small alarm chimes just above Maurice's head, signifying that another hour had passed.  Kimberly regularly served breakfast, whether a five-course affair that made even him more sociable, or a bowl of cereal, at seven forty.  Estimating that even a partial diagnosis of his current status would take at least ten minutes, he prepares himself to miss breakfast._

_Although the sun is now up, the brisk autumn wind sends chills through the thin jacket Tommy is wearing.  Standing atop the same roof he had the previous day, he looks down upon the gentle waves rolling across the surface of the water.  Holding the dagger to his side, he sits cross-legged and sets it down.  Now Dragon Zord, lend me your spiritual guidance._

_A lightning quick sidekick slams a soldier into a wall.  A backhand brings another soldier to his knees and a knee to the jaw crumples him.  Silver, garbed in a charcoal gray dogi maneuvers around a punch and slams one of his own into the gut of that soldier.  A right cross to the temple sends the fully armored soldier crashing to the ground.  Driving his knee into yet another soldier's sternum, he brings his elbow down across his neck.  _

_"Enough!" yells Charles Scott, brandishing his firearm.  As the leader of the human strike force, Silver's use of his men as sentient punching bags regularly upset him._

_"How else do you expect me to hone my skills?"  Silver asks, retrieving his towel from a hook on the wall where one of the soldiers still lay imbedded and unconscious. _

_"Why not use those mutants of Cornelius?"_

_"He doesn't have enough."  Silver disappears from the room, leaving the frustrated Charles to wake his men._

_Two hours have come and gone, yet Tommy is no closer to achieving his goal.  Finally, he uncrosses his legs and stretches them out.  Perhaps out of frustration, he pockets the dagger and types in the frequency for the house._

_"Trini, do you two need me for anything for the next hour?"_

_"Nothing I can think of."_

_"Well, I'm gonna go do a little unwinding.  See you at lunchtime."  He cuts the connection and stands to leave, giving a final look to the waters._

_"Silver!" the booming baritone rattles the windowpanes of Silver's room.  Once again seeking solace in his darkened corner, he ignores the incessant blaring.  _

_"Blast you Silver!"  Omega slams his clenched fist down, breaking off his armrest.  "I give him too much leeway.  Cornelius, dispatch one of your creations to attack Silver.  He will be made to respect me."_

_Cornelius mutters an indiscernible reply and turns to face his stasis chambers.  Committing the serial numbers on four of the chambers to memory, he turns to his computer and extracts the files corresponding to them._

_"You will do splendidly."  The display showcases a female covered in white fur and black markings.  With those exceptions and a tail, she resembles a human female.  His genetic experiments rarely did more than just augment physical abilities.  In extreme cases such as Tigress and Lion Heart, some resemblance to the animal's DNA utilized occurred, such as fur.  _

_"Morning doctor."  She purrs and stretches her body similar to that of a cat.  "What do you desire of me today?"  Slinking up to him sensually, she wraps her tail around his wrist._

_"Nothing of that sort.  I need you to track Omega's lap dog and when the proper time arises, attack him."_

_"Of course master," she replies, her tails' grip loosening, but not completely uncurling.  The doctor leans forward._

_"Perhaps there is a little time before you leave."  He kisses her and the grip tightens again._

_Keisha looks down upon her lesson plan, scouring it for inconsistencies.  Her students, ranging from 6 – 12, are engaged in a vocabulary-matching puzzle.  Suddenly, she shivers, as if a cold draft wafted in through an open window.  However, no windows were open.  Wonder why, she asks herself, suddenly realizing she had not been as intent on finding errors as she had convinced herself she had.  On the paper in front of her, somehow unbeknownst to her, she had scrawled Maurice's name several times._

_"Are you going to stay cooped down here all day?" queries Tommy, slurping up the last remaining drops of melted milk shake._

_"Not my first choice of leisure activity, but, it passes the time."  Maurice rolls himself from beneath the Black Dragon Zord's belly.  "Anything happen today that I should know about?"_

_"Nothing of significance, nope."  Tommy takes a seat on an empty portion of the marble table adjacent to the service elevator.  "When are you gonna arrange your stuff?"  He looks around at the tables, chairs, benches, tools, and other assorted items and furniture in disarray. _

_"Aesthetics were never my strong point."  He wipes the cleansing fluids from his hand.  "So, you get Dragon Zord to respond to your flute yet?"_

_"Nope," he responds, his face conveying his disappointment.  "I thought it was just a matter of technology, but it's something more.  Something I can't get a hold of just yet."_

_"Keep at it.  If anyone can unlock that secret, it's you."  Tommy is surprised by the rare show of support from Maurice, but smiles nonetheless._

_"Where are you going?"  Silver hears the animalistic voice of Lion Heart over his shoulder.  _

_"None of your concern," he responds, not turning to face his interrogator._

_"Omega disapproves of your conduct as of late."  _

_"If he doesn't like it, he can fire me."  Silver fades away through the doorway in a brilliant flash of light._

_"I hate when he does that." _

_"Maurice, Tommy, come here please."  The two of them exit the kitchen in response to Trini's request.  "Check this out."  On the monitor, Silver watches nonchalantly across the street, cars swerving to avoid hitting him and colliding with one another.  Before him is the apartment complex that Keisha lives in.  Maurice, morphers on his wrists, morphs and teleports before anyone can protest._

_"Lock on to his signature and follow him!" Kimberly commands._

_Nodding, Tommy yells "Dragon Zord!"  After morphing, his morpher locks onto Maurice's and instantly he is transported to the location._

_Green Ranger looks around, finding the streets completely deserted.  Moments later, an intertwined Black Ranger and Silver Guardian explode through a window three stories up.  Black Ranger's fall is cushioned by Silver Guardian's body and he proceeds to hammer punch after punch into his adversary's body.  The last punch, aimed for his head, misses, causing Black Ranger's fist to imbed itself into the concrete.  Seizing the opportunity, Silver slams his fist into Black Ranger's jaw and pushes him from atop him.  Flipping onto his feet, he kicks the fallen Ranger in the ribs.  _

_"No time to play with you today," he remarks, drawing his saber and training it on Maurice.  Sensing a disturbance, he snaps his left arm back in a slight arc, his metallic knuckles catching the airborne Green Ranger in the sternum.  "Now, where were we?"  His answer comes in the form of a leg scissors that brings him to his knees.  Still on his back, Black Ranger spins, slamming his heel into Silver's head.  Rolling back to his feet, he turns his attention back to the apartment.  Green Ranger lands a dropkick to Silver's face, sending the warrior back to the concrete as Black Ranger races up the stairs, skipping as many as possible without slowing his speed. _

_Kicking open Keisha's door, he is stunned at the oddly attractive humanoid feline shouldering Keisha's unconscious body.  She licks her lips seductively before crashing through the window with Keisha in tow.  Without further hesitation, Maurice dives straight down after them in pursuit.  _

_The feline woman lands on her feet and begins running.  Maurice tucks his body and somersaults with inches to spare.  Before he realizes that Silver had clothes lined him, Maurice wonders why his throat hurts and why he is on the laid flat upon the pavement.  Looking up, the glint of something metallic blinds him momentarily and an intense pain shoots through his shoulder._

_Green Ranger crawls over to him just as Silver vanishes. _

_"You okay?" concern strong in his voice._

_"I can't move my left arm."  Green Ranger helps his ally to his feet and teleports the two of them back._

_"What could possibly be so special about this woman that Silver would risk incurring Omega's wrath?" ponders Cornelius, as Tigress lays the motionless form of Keisha across a gurney._

_"Who knows or cares for that matter.  I want a crack at that Black Ranger."_

_"Then have at him my pet, if that is your desire.  Just save something for me to alter when you're done."_

_"Of course doctor."  She smiles sinisterly, licks his face, and then leaps inside one of the tunnels that would transport her back to the scene of the abduction._

_"Now my beauty, let's see why he went through all the fuss of retrieving you."  Cornelius begins stripping off her clothes._

_"Where are you going?" Kimberly yells, as Maurice, shoulder bandaged, attempts to morph._

_"Where do you think?" he replies, knowing how much she despises answering a question with a question._

_"Damn it!  Look at yourself, you're still bleeding."  A small crimson stain is visible through the white bandage._

_"I don't care."_

_"What happened out there?  Why won't you tell me?"_

_"I told you before.  What I do on my own time is none of your concern."  Concentrating, Maurice crosses his arms over his chest. "Black Dragon!" he growls through gritted teeth, the powerful transformation restoring full use to his arm, but not ridding it of the excruciating pain still surging through it.  Teleporting again, he leaves the former Pink Ranger fuming._

_"So, you came back.  I was expecting you."  The beautiful Tigress uncurls herself from the couch, the only piece of furniture not over turned._

_"How unfortunate, for you."  Maurice races forward.  Tigress leaps from the ground and executes a perfect high side somersault over him.  Dropping to a crouch, she lashes out, twice scratching his chest with her claws.  A third attempt ends with her wrists being caught and a size 14 boot shoved into her midsection.  She whimpers, and pushes off with both feet, freeing herself only momentarily.  Maurice quickly follows up with a spin kick to the face and a kick to her ribs.  Hooking his arms around her waist, he lifts and spins her over his head before slamming her against the floor with such force that a visible crack appears in the tiled floor.  Jerking her up by the neck in a grip that could easily crush a normal person's windpipe, he hurls her into a wall.  She slides down the wall, barely conscious only to have his iron grip wrapped around her powerful, but still very vulnerable neck.  Lifting her to eye level, he retracts his visor._

_"Where is she?"  He shakes her to instill in her how serious his inquiry is and what repercussions awaited her if not answered to his liking._

_"Omega has her!" she screams, coughing up blood.  With a twist of his wrist, he flings her onto the couch._

_"You disgust me.  Go back to your master and tell him I'm coming for him."  Maurice turns to leave, teleporting before his second step strikes the floor.  Tigress blinks back the spots swirling about her eyes then lies down for a nap before returning._

_Tommy sits at the kitchen table, rubbing his bruised ribs with his right hand, and holding the Dragon Dagger with his left.  A moment passes, and he looks up to find Maurice sitting in the opposite chair still morphed._

_"Looks like you've been through hell."  No response.  "Maurice?"  He shakes his partner twice, then jumps up and lifts the heavier man.  Moving as fast as possible he props him on the couch and calls Trini._

_Trini arrives moments later with a diagnosis._

_"He passed out?"  The astonishment prevalent in Tommy's voice reveals to Trini the high regard in which the teen held his surrogate father._

_"Yep. Although he was able to push his body beyond any normal extent of physical activity, eventually his body reacted to his pain the only way it knew how, knocking him unconscious."_

_"I see.  So what do we do from here?"_

_"Let him rest."  Tommy takes a seat on the coffee table and watches over his partner as Trini reverses the morphing process and covers the young man in a blanket._

_"Why must you test me so?" inquires Omega, his unblinking eyes focused on Silver's._

_"I'm like a child in your eyes, so I thought like most children, I'd test my limits."  An optic blast knocks him back a few steps.  "Okay, my apologies Omega.  Won't happen again.  I promise."_

_"See to it that it does not.  You are my best man and as much as I'd hate to see your talent wasted, I have no qualms about ending your existence.  Am I making myself clear?"_

_"Crystal."  He about-faces and exits the chamber._

_"No mutations, no enhanced abilities.  She's worthless as she is now."  Cornelius reassesses his test results, finding nothing physically extraordinary with the young woman.  Stroking her forehead, he kisses her lips gently.  "How would you like to be my new pet?  We could splice you with a panther."  He moves his hand across her naked thighs.  "I know I'd like it very much."_

_"And here I was thinking your intellect prevent you from engaging in such overt sexual acts."  The doctor looks up from Keisha to find Silver standing in the doorway with his arms folded menacingly and a scowl adorning his helmet-less face._

_"Why did you bring her here then if not for my research."_

_"I never intended to bring her here.  You kitty did that.  I had my own agenda.  And it didn't involve her being nude.  Now dress her before I have to report to Omega that he will need a new geneticist."_

_Tommy watches from afar as his father flawlessly performs the melody that countless times before awakened the sleeping beast.  The peaceful waters bubble, then churn violently before parting way, revealing the crest of Dragon Zord's head.  An awed smile graces the six- year-old's face as the massive giant emerges and takes its first steps upon the shoreline._

_"Hopefully my son, you will never need to see my friend here engaged in battle."_

_Tommy bolts up straight, finding himself still seated upon the table and his friend still unconscious._

_"I will unlock your secrets Dragon Zord and I will use them to put Omega down for good."_

_THE END, For Now_

_Next Time On Power Rangers: Omega – As Maurice recovers, Trini suggests that Tommy begin an odyssey to seek out new Rangers to aid in the effort.  Will he succeed before Omega releases his new robotic soldier upon New Hope?  Find out next time in the upcoming mini-series "Femme Fatales"_


	3. Changes

POWER RANGERS: OMEGA

The Femme Fatale Saga

Part One – Episode Three: Changes

Keisha awakens for the first time in sixteen hours.  Yawing, she quickly realizes that she is not in her own full size bed and sits up almost mechanically.  Looking around, she finds her surroundings dimly illuminated by the moonlight being filtered through a set of blinds.

_"You're finally awake."  She turns to the direction of the voice, her eyes barely able to perceive the silhouette in the corner._

_"Where am I?"_

_"Safe for now."  Silver emerges from his shadowy post.  "That it all that you need to know for the moment."_

_Maurice bolts upright as if his pain induced slumber were interrupted by a nightmare.  Tommy sets the plate of sandwiches down and kneels before his partner._

_"You okay buddy?"_

_"Yeah, fine."  Maurice rubs his eyes.  "How long have I been out?"_

_"About twelve hours.  Trini patched you up for the third time just over an hour ago."_

_"May I have some clothes please?"  Maurice feels the blanket against his naked skin._

_"Anything in particular?"_

_"Doesn't matter."_

_"Tigress!"  Cornelius's yell reverberates off the walls of his lab.  The sultry femme feline stretches her soar muscles, and rises from her bed._

_"Yes doctor?"_

_"Mind explaining what happened to you yesterday?"_

_"I underestimated the skill of the Black Ranger.  But he is in worse shape than me, I assure you."_

_"Well, I have another job for you.  Follow Silver back to the woman's place and watch over her.  Tell me if she exhibits any animalistic tendencies."_

_"Of course sir."  She kisses him deeply, her long tongue lapping at his.  "Then may I have my check up?" _

_"The moment you return."  He smiles lecherously, cupping her buttocks._

_A navy blue van drives down the long abandoned stretch of paved road leading to Safe-Mart.  Painted on the passenger side are the letters S.D.R.S.  The van's occupants, a woman in her mid twenties, another in her late thirties, two teenage boys, and one man in his early thirties, are silent as the van covers the last thousand or so feet.  Pulling to a stop, the twenty-something woman exits the vehicle, her dark brown shoulder length hair being tousled by the light breeze. _

_"So this is where he's been hiding."  The woman smiles, and approaches the twin glass doors._

_"Customer," Kimberly sings, giggling at her bubbly demeanor.  She swivels in her chair and heads down to the register._

_Maurice finishes his bowl of soup and motions for Tommy to take his post as customer service rep.  Dipping his bowl in the soapy water along with the yet to be washed morning dishes._

_"Good morning," Trini greets sweetly.  The group of strangers returns the warm smile with smiles of their own and begins canvassing the store for supplies.  _

_The twenty-something walks up to Tommy, who is stocking one of the hardware shelves._

_"Excuse me sir."_

_"Yes," he replies, turning around, his heart nearly lodging itself in his throat at the beautiful mocha colored female standing before him._

_"I was wondering if Maurice Wilson is employed here."_

_"Kind of.  He lives here anyway."  Tommy is surprised at the calm tone of his voice as he wages war against his hormones._

_"Occasionally, I work too." Tommy flinches at the sudden sound of Maurice's voice.  "Morning Saundra, a pleasure to see you again."  He flashes her a quick smile and Tommy is at a loss for words._

_"Nice to see you too handsome.  I see you're not bleeding for a change."  She walks over to him and hugs him._

_"Okay.  Did I miss something?" Tommy interjects._

_"Yep.  She saved my life once."_

_"Three times actually."  She smiles as she backs away from the hug.  "Nice set-up you have here."   Looking around she observes the ten or so high feet of shelves of products of varying quantities, and variety. _

_"So, what can we do for you?"_

_"You're cute friend there can fill my colleagues' order.  You on the other hand, I want to talk to you alone."  She hooks her index finger and tickles his jaw line. Maurice motions for her to follow him.  Tommy shakes his head in disbelief and goes to locate the others in her group._

_Silver transforms into his armor and slips in unnoticed by Dr. Cornelius._

_"Cornelius," he calls out, startling the doctor from his activities._

_"Damn it, stop doing that."_

_"Not until you stop doing that.  Now put on some clothes and go see what Omega wants.  As for you Kitty, don't ever let me catch you meddling in my affairs again."  He about-faces and leaves just as stealthily as he appeared._

_"Why not?"  Saundra's voice reminds Maurice of a whiny child and if not for her place in his heart, he would be more irritated than he already is.  _

_"It's too dangerous."_

_"That is the most generic answer you could come up with.  As if what I do every day is the safest occupation in the world."_

_"Point taken."  He unfolds his arms.  "But being a Power Ranger is not as glamorous as it once was.  People will throw things at you.  Children will spit on you."_

_"I'm not looking for fame.  I want to help you.  Keep an eye on you."_

_"I don't need anyone watching over me."_

_"I didn't mean it like that.  I just want to help.  You and your buddy must be a little under-manned."  She uncrosses her legs and hops down from the desk she is sitting on.  "Besides," she says leaning forward to put her nose to his, "You guys could use a female's touch."_

_"I'll think about it."  She smiles at him._

_"Hope you guys stop by again soon."  Tommy closes the backdoor of the van and shakes hands with Roger Jackson, the second oldest member of the group._

_Maurice opens Saundra's door and assists her into her seat._

_"I want you to seriously consider my request.  Or I'll personally kick your ass.  Remember, I know where you live."  She kisses her index and middle fingers and places them to his lips.  "Bye."  _

_"That has to be the most emotion I've seen out of him in months," Kimberly comments, drinking from her bottle of cola.  Trini nods her agreement as the van pulls off and the two Rangers converse amongst themselves just out of earshot._

_"Let's go," Silver states bluntly, tossing Keisha a jacket.  "Teleporting for the first time leaves you with the chills and slight nausea."_

_"Where are you taking me now?"_

_"Home.  I may visit you from time to time to check up on your progress."_

_"My progress?  What the hell are you talking about?"_

_"You'll soon find out.  As I said before, let's go."  Grabbing her wrist roughly, he concentrates, and soon the two of them vanish from sight._

_"She what!" exclaims Tommy, ducking down to peer beneath the under carriage of Black Dragon's body._

_"You heard me.  She wants to be a Power Ranger."_

_"We could use the man, I mean woman power."_

_Sliding from beneath the Zord, Maurice looks up.  "Don't tell me you're considering her proposal."_

_"She seems nice enough.  Anyone that can be that cordial with you has to be a good person."_

_"Funny."  He places his tools down.  _

_"Think about it.  Besides, I was talking to Trini last night while you were snoozing and we were talking about going on a recruiting run.  Bring the team back up to a respectable number."  Tommy stands back to his full height and backs away, allowing Maurice to stand._

_"That is a good idea, but I'm not sure about Saundra."_

_Keisha sits up suddenly, finding herself in her bed.  Had her ordeal been simply an excruciatingly long nightmare.  Yawning deeply, she notes the hour of 2:58 p.m.  Stretching her body, she is relieved that it is Saturday.  Walking across the bedroom floor, a wave of nausea suddenly hits her and she dashes to the bathroom.  After three dry heaves, she runs water for a shower and begins stripping away her clothing.  Looking at the mirror, she nearly stumbles backwards at the sight of her naked body in the reflective surface.  She was far from egotistical about her assets, but never before had she been frightened by her very own reflection.  Suddenly feeling very dirty, she increases the heat of the water until steam billows out of the shower and moisture begins gathering on her exposed skin.  Venturing another glance, her heart begins thumping against her sternum and she quickly diverts her attention to the scalding hot water.  Stepping in, the water quickly redirects her attention away from her irrational fear and to the increasing pain setting her nerves ablaze.  Although her skin begins to redden, she continues the shower as if the water would burn away her uneasiness._

_Tigress, fully shaved save for the top of her head, visits a boutique in Hartford, Connecticut, one of the few major cities left.  Frightened by Silver's threat, she decided to engage in a little shopping spree to calm her nerves.  Simple human tasks like these often eased her mind and the arduous task of shaving the quick growing fur that covered every inch of her body did not detract from her mood.  Clothed in a pair of black pumps, knee length red skirt with matching jacket, and a white t-shirt, she completes the ensemble with a pair of stylish black shades.  Hair fashioned in an attractive variation of a bun, she appears every bit as professional as any executive.  As she browses through designer dresses and evening gowns, her mind drifts to how rough the doctor had been with her earlier in the morning during her "check up."  Her breasts were still sore and the skin-tight fabric offered little help in subduing the pain.  Inevitably, he mind also ponders what exactly the doctor had done while the woman she kidnapped had been left alone in his care.  A surge of jealously shoots through her and she quickly makes her purchases._

_Keisha tugs at her nightstand, attempting to perfectly align it at a ninety-degree angle from her dresser.  Frustrated, she lifts the solid oak stand and hurls it at the closet door, caving in the middle of it.  Horrified at the feat of strength just displayed, she tears off her gown and begins inspecting herself.  No physical changes.  She had not suddenly discovered eighteen-inch biceps, or any other sign of a body builder's physique.  Sitting nude upon her bed, she begins rocking back and forth, murmuring to herself, "What's happening to me?"_

_Saundra slams her heel into the body bag.  Her quadriceps muscles are tight and beginning to reach a new level of fatigue.  For three hours, she has been assaulting the various training equipment in the recreation building that she and her friends had help build along with a grant from Global Tech.  Bench press, curling stations, sit-up apparatuses, squat rack, and now this punching bag had monopolized her attention since her return from Maurice's._

_"I will prove to him that I am worthy."  Another kick, this time with her right leg, punctures the bag and grains of sand begin trickling out._

_"Ready?" inquires Maurice, holding his right first against his heart.  Tommy nods.  "Then let's do it."  He brings his other wrist to his chest and begins the morphing process._

_"Dragon Zord!" Tommy yells, his transformation culminating almost simultaneously with Maurice's.  _

_The two Rangers circle one another.  Green Ranger dashes forward, throwing a high punch that is blocked, and a lower one that is dodged.  Black Ranger follows up with a knee strike that is caught by Green Ranger, leaving him open to an open palm strike to the chest.  Staggering back, the Green Ranger falls to avoid a front hook kick, then swings his legs at Black Ranger's shins, causing the other Ranger to jump back.  Flipping onto his feet, Green Ranger strikes a stance and once again they circle one another.  This time, Black Ranger initiates the offense, landing a solid punch to his partner's gut, doubling him over. A jerk of his head, allows a follow up elbow to whisk past him and graze his shoulder.  Jumping backwards, he extends his legs, catching Black Ranger in the shins and nearly toppling him.  Rolling onto his stomach, Green Ranger pushes himself back to his feet and begins throwing rapid fire punches, most being blocked, but three of which sneaking past the deceptively fast limbs of Black Ranger and knocking the other fighter back a few steps._

_Keisha, fully clothed in an oversized purple sweat suit, walks down the desolate sidewalk running in front of her complex.  Her sweat-drenched hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail.  A preternatural chill keeps her cold despite the unusually warm day.  As she approaches a cross walk, a man wearing a tan business suit accidentally bumps into her while talking on his cell phone.  He rushes an apology and returns to his conversation.  Normally, Keisha, ever understanding of others and patient to a fault, suddenly feels an urge tugging at her.  Before she realizes that her fists are intertwined, the hammer like blow slams into the man's lower back.  He yelps in pain as he loses his balance and tumbles off the curb.  Keisha, unable to focus her thoughts, dashes off in the other direction, attempting to figure out why she attacked him.  Eventually, she ducks into an alley and leans against a wall, hugging herself tightly._

_"Where do you think you're going?"  Maurice demands, barricading Trini's exit route._

_"If I said none of your business, would you let me pass?" the elder female responds, blowing a stray bang out of her face.  Apparently not amused, Maurice flashes her a death glare usually reserved for Omega and his armies._

_"Answer the question."_

_"If you must know, I'm gonna go check up on a former student of mine."_

_"For the purpose of recruiting her for the team, I assume."_

_"However did you get that notion in your head?"_

_"Do what you want.  Just don't get yourself killed.  I don't think the kid would sleep too peacefully if you did."  He steps aside and Trini kisses him on the cheek.  His expression softens slightly as she bounds down the stairs as energetically as she would have if still a teen._

_Keisha stares at the receiver of the phone, the dial tone droning on in her ear.  Three times, she had attempted to dial Maurice's number and three times she hung up before striking the first key.  Swallowing the lump developing in her throat, she quickly dials the number.  _

_"Hello," the unmistakable voice of Maurice answers.  She hesitates before answering._

_"I need you."_

_Maurice listens to the dial tone and without delay, prepares himself for teleportation.  The tone of voice he detected from her conveyed a sense of urgency and he did not care if he suddenly materialized in the middle of a crowd as long as he got there as expeditiously as possible._

_Taking the stairs as many as he can, Maurice knocks on her door and finds it ajar.  Sensing an imbalance, he snaps his body away just as a knife wedges itself into the doorframe.  Shaking as if she had been visited by Lucifer himself, Keisha stares blankly at him as if unsure of who he is.  He approaches her slowly, both hands extended._

_"No!" she screams, running towards her room.  She slams the door in his face and he begins banging on it.  Slumping against it, tears stream down her face and her sobs rack her body.  "You shouldn't have come," she says through fits of coughing._

_"Let me in damn it!  What's wrong with you?"_

_"I wish I knew.  Just go home before I do something terrible to you."_

_Unable to stand being left in the dark, Maurice slams his shoulder into the heavy door, causing it to unhinge slightly._

_"Don't do it!" she screams, bracing against the door with more force than she thought her body was capable of.  Another charge and the door is completely unhinged, her body now the only thing keeping the door in place._

_Grabbing hold of the knob, Maurice tugs at it with both hands, widening the doorway and pulling the door through it.  Keisha falls backwards at this feet and peers up at the unabashed concern in her best friend's eyes._

_Dropping to his knees, Maurice touches her shoulder and she wrenches free of his grasp.  She sits up and scampers to her knees, crawling towards her bed.  Maurice wraps his powerful arms around her midsection and using as much weight and strength without hurting her too badly, crushes her body to the floor.  She wiggles and writes in a futile attempt to free herself.  Even with her suddenly increased strength, she still was no match for Maurice, who for reasons unknown to even him, begins singing a child hood song to her.  He runs his fingers through the damp tangles of hair and lies on top of her until she finally stops struggle and begins crying again.  Turning onto his side, he cradles her body and continues the song._

_End of Part One_

_Next Time On Power Rangers: Omega - As Keisha struggles with her inner demons, Trini seeks out her former student Ashley Tran.  Meanwhile, Tommy seeks out Saundra to answer her and finds another potential Ranger.  Stay tuned for the next part of the Femme Fatale Saga: Felines and Falcons._


	4. Felines and Canines

POWER RAGNERS: OMEGA

The Femme Fatale Saga

Part Two-Episode Four: Felines and Canines

Two hours have passed since Maurice subdued Keisha.  She is now asleep, Maurice protectively cradling her body next to his in her bed.  He is at a lost as to what is happening to her but can easily trace its origins to her abduction the previous day.  She begins tossing in her sleep and he calms her down with the words of the song once more.

"I'm coming with you."  Tommy looks up from tying his boots to see Kimberly struggling with an oversized suitcase.

"Who's gonna watch the store?" 

"We can close it for now.  Whoever gets back first can just reopen it."  She places the huge piece of luggage down and wipes her forehead.  "I refuse to be left here alone."

"Maurice will be back by morning."

"Like I said, I refuse to be left here alone."

"Suit yourself.  We leave now."

"Okay.  What?  As in right now?  It's midnight!  Are you insane?"

"You wanted to come.  That's the time I chose."

"Okay, okay. Midnight it is."  She huffs and Tommy can't help but smile at his father's first love.

Trini approaches the dwelling with a miniscule amount of trepidation tugging at the back of her senses.  Ducking, she avoids a punch and with the speed and grace of a martial arts master, grabs the wrist of the assailant and tosses the person over her shoulder. Still holding the masked person's wrist, she kicks the attacker in the face.  Two more leap at her, each armed with clubs.  Wind milling her arms, she slams her open palm down against the first attacker's wrist and spin sweeps him down.  From her crouched position, she easily dodges the homerun swing attempt to her head, turns her back to him, and rams her heel into the man's shin.  Spinning around quickly, she chops him across the shoulder of the arm holding the club, causing him to drop it.  Hooking his arm with her own, she jerks at the elbow joint and uses his forearm to block a blow from his partner.  Wincing from the sound of the club cracking against his forearm, she turns to her left and drives her elbow into his lower back with enough force to knock him and his partner down.

"Enough," calls out a feminine voice from within the building.

"These guys are sloppy," Trini remarks as the owner of the voice steps away from the doorway.

"True, but I didn't train them."  A smile creeps up on the lips of the slightly taller female as she covers the few feet separating them and pulls the older woman into a tight embrace.  "It's good seeing you again.  What have you been up to as of late?"

"Long story.  Mind if we go inside?"

"Not at all."  She places her arm on Trini's shoulder and the two venture inside the dwelling.

"Sure you're not forgetting something, like the refrigerator or something?" Tommy comments, as he tosses her suitcase in the storage bed of the air truck.

"I knew I forgot something!" she responds, pushing him gently.  "I get to drive the first leg of the trip."

"Go right ahead.  I'll just take an hour nap."  Securing the locks on the bed, he hops into the passenger seat, reclines, and clasps his hands behind his head.  Kimberly shakes her head and climbs into the front seat.  She initiates the flight sequence and in moments the two of them are hovering several feet above the surface at about 320 mph.

"That's incredible," Sasha notes, sipping her coffee.  For the last hour, Trini had been telling her friend Sasha Ortega about the reconstruction of most of California's cities, and about her relationship with the new Power Rangers.

"That's the main reason I'm here," Trini affirms, alluding to her search for a new Ranger.

"I'd love to help, but like you said, none of my friends here are quite up to the task, and I'm too old to be dressing up and fighting monsters.  Might break a hip or something."  The two forty plus year old women giggle.

"I suppose you're right.  But you must know someone."

"Why not let me be a Ranger?" inquires a voice similar to Sasha's.  Turning in the direction of the voice, Trini's jaw nearly drops at the sight of the young woman.  It is as if she is looking into a mirror of the past and staring into the face of Sasha at age nineteen. 

"Ashley, how long have you been there?"

"Long enough to hear what I've wanted to hear for a long time."  The young woman, dressed in a pair of tight fitting black jeans and a white tank top, walks over to the two older females. 

"What are you talking about young lady?"

"Ever since I first began learning how to fight, I often wondered why my father was so against it.  Then I found out about what my mother used to do, and I wanted to be a Power Ranger."  She sits down next to Trini.  "Right now, more than ever, the world needs more than two Rangers."

"She has a point there," Trini adds.

"Whose side are you on?"

"Whichever side helps save the world.  In this case, I think I'm siding with the young lady."  Ashley smirks at Sasha.

"Lord help me," Sasha whines, looking directly into her eyes.  "When your mom asked me to watch over you, I never thought in my wildest dreams you'd want to grow up to be like her.  I won't stop you."  Ashley walks over to her and hugs her tightly.

"Thanks for trusting in me."  The two continue hugging as Trini smiles.

"Wake up Kim."  Tommy nudges the sleepy beauty with his elbow.  She moans and rubs her eyes.

"Are we here?"  She yawns and stretches as much as the confinement of the vehicle allows her.

"Yep.  Been here for a while.  Had time to bring our things upstairs."  He opens the door and exits the truck.  Kimberly yawns once more before joining him.

Unlocking the door their room, Tommy steps aside and bows for her.

"After you my lady."  

She curtseys and replies "Why thank you kind sir."

The room is quite spacious, providing enough room for a separate sleeping and lounging area independent of one another.  Plopping down upon the sofa, Tommy flips on the television set.

"How did you know about this place?"  Kimberly tours the room, stopping at the king size bed.  "I didn't know they'd have time to build a place like this in such short time."  She bounces up and down upon the plush mattress.

"Saundra told me about it.  Said the former owner rented it out to Omega's human soldiers to protect it from being destroyed.  Now go to bed, Saundra starts her rounds at five.  So that's give us about 2 and a half hours of rest."  He turns the volume of the television back up as Kimberly gives him an evil look before rummaging through her bag for a nightgown.

The early morning rays cast a warm glow across Maurice's face.  Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he senses that Keisha is no longer in the bed.  Rolling out of bed, he looks around the apartment and finds her on the balcony staring directly into the sun.

"You can permanently damage your eyes that way."  Maurice approaches her and places a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know what's wrong with me and it's scaring the hell out of me."

"It may not seem like it, but I understand."  He pulls her into an embrace and rests his chin on her head.  "I'm here for you."

Michael hands Saundra the crate of water bottles.  Hoisting them above her head, she places them on the shelf.

"That's the last of them."  She wipes away the few droplets of perspiration that had gathered on her forehead.  Glancing down at her watch, she notes the early hour.  "Let's take a break.  It's only seven and we've already got most of our errands done for the day."

"Then you have time to try this out."  Turning around Saundra smiles as she finds Tommy and Kimberly standing behind them.

"Nice seeing the two of you again.  And to what do I owe the honor?"  She flashes her super-model quality smile and climbs down the stepladder.

"I wanted to give you this."  He tosses her what appears to be a small wrist weight.  "Now come with me please."  He turns to leave.  Saundra informs Michael that she will be gone for a few minutes.

In a barren field just outside San Diego's city limits, Tommy holds his morpher in front of him. 

"It's voice activated.  The first time you morph will feel a bit uncomfortable.  Painful even.  You get used to it though."  She nods.  "Now as soon as I morph you do it too.  That way, a little of the pain will be compensated for with my transformation.  You ready?"  She nods and holds her bracelet to the opposite shoulder.  "It's morphing time!  Dragon Zord!"

"Purple Panther!"  Instantly, the form hugging body armor enwraps her body.  Just as promised, her entire body begins to ache and she nearly looses her balance.  

Catching her Tommy asks, "So, you still wanna be a Power Ranger?"

Maurice finishes packing up Keisha's clothes and slings the tote bag over his shoulder.  Grasping the handles of the two suitcases, he proceeds downstairs as Keisha watches him from the doorway.  Earlier, it had been decided that she stay with him until they figured out exactly what was afflicting her so.  Holding her hand over her heart she sighs, the first sign of relief since she thought she had woke from a long sleep the previous day.

"All packed?" Trini inquires of her young companion.

"Yep," Ashley responds, adjusting the bedroll atop her backpack before shifting its bulky design onto her shoulders.

"Nice seeing you again Sasha."

"Same here.  Take good care of her."

"No need to even ask."  They hug and part ways.  Ashley kisses Sasha on the forehead before following Trini through the doorway.

"One more time."  Tommy watches as Saundra pants heavily and wipes the sweat stinging her eyes.  

"Purple Panther!"  For the fifth time, a purple aura swirls around her body, starting at her feet and ending at her head.  

"Good," Tommy compliments.  "Now attack me."

"Can't I rest first?"  Her answer comes in the form of a punch aimed at her head.  She ducks it and snaps her neck away from another.  Digging deep within herself, she manages to block the ensuing offense.

"Ready to step it up?"  Before she can reply, Tommy blurs away from her sight for a moment.  Reappearing behind her, he taps her on the shoulder.

Turning, she finds him no longer there.  "Over here."  She turns and finds him standing a few feet from her to the right.  "That's enough for today.  We'll do more tomorrow."  His suit dematerializes as does hers and he catches her as she stumbles.

"That was intense."

"Yep.  You're learning quickly.  Now let's get you in to a shower.  No offense, but you stink."  She shoves him playfully and they walk off together.

Maurice checks up on Keisha for the fourth time in the thirty minutes since they had arrived from her apartment.  She assures him that she's okay and thanks him again for the use of his room.

"I'll be in my workshop if you need anything."

"I'm fine Maurice.  Just do what you need to."  He touches her hand and leaves her alone with her thoughts.

Keisha watches as he leaves and thanks her fortunes for having such a good friend in Maurice.  He had always been a good friend to her and she felt safe with him.  In the back of her mind, another panic attack begins to surface and she hugs herself.  As much as she loved Maurice, she could not help but feel like a burden having to depend on him for comfort.  She chooses to weather this one alone.

Silver, garbed in a black silk robe and pants, watches from the shadows of Cornelius's lab as Tigress runs her hands over the glass-like opening of one of the larger stasis units.

"Not that I particularly care, but what are you doing?"  Tigress turns around startled at the unexpected and frankly unwanted company.

"None of your business you walking canned good."  Before she can blink, Silver is in her face.

"Maybe I approached this incorrectly.  I asked before, but now I'm demanding to know what's inside."  Instantly, his fist slams into the door, rattling the entire containment unit and causing her to flinch.

"I'm not easily intimidated."  He grips her chin.

"Maybe not, but you are easily beaten to a quivering pile of excrement.  I saw what you looked like after the Black Ranger finished with you.  And that was beautiful how you told the doctor it was you who inflicted the injuries to the Ranger.  Now one more time before I snap your neck and open it myself.  What.  Is.  Inside?"  

Relenting, she sighs and responds, "My older brother."

"Now then, was that so bad?"  Pushing her aside, he looks inside.  "Question.  You were spliced with a cat.  Why wasn't he as well?"

"Who knows?  The doctor does as he wishes with his subjects."

"I could tell, with you being his special 'kitty' and all."  He smirks at her and backs away, dissolving back into the shadows from whence he appeared.

"I hate you!" she screams, grabbing the nearest item and hurling it at the spot he just occupied.  The beaker shatters as it strikes the now closed doorway and she slumps to the floor in defeat.

For the past hour, Keisha laid motionless, tucked in a ball on the cold linoleum floor of Maurice's bathroom, enduring her worst attack since her abduction.  Breathing slowly, she uncurls herself in order to look at her reflection.

Frightened to the point that she is shaking, she observes the disheveled hair, the blood red, dry eyes, the white streaks of dried tears on her cheek, and oddly enough, facial hair.  Slowly her hand reaches up to the small patches of wild hair protruding from her chin, she jerks her hand back quickly and examines them.  The same dark hair is amassing on her hands in small clumps.

"What's happening to me?"  She inhales sharply, realizing the voice resonating from her vocal cords was deeper, more sensual than her normal speaking voice.  Almost a purr in its quality.  Suddenly, her arms begin to itch and instinctively, she scratches them.  Having cut her nails the day before, she is shocked to find herself drawing blood from her skin.  As the thin tendrils of crimson run down her forearm, she shrieks and punches the mirror, shattering it in a spider-web pattern.  Smaller shards break loose from the frame and spray the sink.  Grabbing her head, she falls to her knees and begins crying.

Maurice, sensing something wrong, literally drops everything he is working on and dashes upstairs.  Moments later, a small beeping sound, unheard by the bedroom bound Maurice, indicates that someone is attempting to reach him.

"Damn.  I can't get him to respond."  Tommy looks over at Saundra, who at his suggestion is combing her hair after the refreshing shower she just took.  "Guess it's up to us."  He reaches in his pocket and retrieves his morpher.

"Right behind you."  She tosses her comb and places her morpher back on her wrist.

"Dragon Zord!"

"Purple Panther!"

The Green and Purple Rangers materialize in the middle of stalled traffic.  Looking around, the unmistakable growl of a huge dog catches their attention and they race in that direction.  Having only traveled a handful of steps, Green Ranger is knocked down by a man sized canine.  Holding the mutant's snout, he temporarily keeps it from snapping its powerful jaws upon him.  Purple Ranger grabs the canine's tail and swings him into one of the abandoned cars.  

"You okay?"  She helps the Green Ranger to his feet.

"Sure," shaking his head.  "This kind of thing happens all the time."

"I am Kubarra," a voice comments from a place other than the car it should be emanating from.  "Today you die."

"I could have sworn that it was next week.  I even marked down the fifth to pick out a casket." Green Ranger searches for the origin of the voice, and almost a second to late, dodges a slash from Kubarra.  Dodging another, he aims a punch at the man-beast that is avoided and countered with a kick that sends Green Ranger reeling backwards.  The two males exchange punches, Kubarra's finding their mark more frequently and more potently than Green Ranger's.  A back fist to the jaw sends Green Ranger up against a car.  

"Here Kujo," Purple Ranger calls, "Come to momma."  Kubarra turns and greets a kick with his nose.  Holding the afflicted area with both hands, he leaves his stomach open for three solid punches that double him over.  Bringing her leg up to her shoulder, she slams the heel across his massive neck, driving him to one knee.  A follow up to the side of the head is caught by Kubarra's large hand.  Driving a back fist into her stomach, he brings his knuckles back, striking her in the jaw as she falls forward.  Still holding her leg, he stands back to his full six feet and nearly seven inch height and dangles her upside down, driving blow after blow into her stomach.  A knee strike to the back halts his assault.  Using her sore abdominal muscles, Purple Ranger pulls herself upright and jabs the beast between the eyes with all her might.  He staggers back, dropping her on her shoulder.  Seizing the advantage, Green Ranger jumps and hooks his underarm around the beast's neck.  Tugging with all his strength, he drops the beast on the pavement headfirst.  Running over to Purple Ranger, he looks her over.

"You okay?"

"Yep.  Shoulder hurts though."  He helps her onto her feet, only to be snatched off his own.  Purple Ranger shakes the cobwebs from her head, only to find herself dangling by her head in the powerful grasp of Kubarra. 

"I will crush the two of you with my bare hands."  Saliva runs down his face as he snarls menacingly.  

Thinking quickly, Green Ranger swings his legs up and hooks them around Kubarra's arm.  Purple Ranger does the same and the two twist simultaneously.  Their efforts send the man-beast toppling back, once again his already bruised head striking the hard surface.  His grip slackens just enough for the Rangers to free themselves.  Standing back gasping, they look on in disbelief as the man-beast bolts to a sitting position.   Green Ranger drives both feet into Kubarra's chest, knocking him back down.  But even before Green Ranger can get back up, Kubarra sits up yet again.

"This is not looking good for the good guys," Purple Ranger remarks, watching as the taller opponent rises to his feet despite the punches Green Ranger pummels him with.  Utilizing his favorite technique, Kubarra backhands Green Ranger, lifting him completely off his feet and flying into a brick wall.  The bricks crack and Green Ranger slumps down against it.

The two women, one a former Ranger, the other not quite one yet, traverse the long stretch of dusty trails leading to the next somewhat reconstructed city.  Trini places her hand up to signal Ashley to stop.  

"Check your morpher."  Ashley places her backpack down and removes the morpher from the side compartment.  The power coin, hers and Tommy's the only surviving ones from the seven made, glows intensely. 

"What does that mean?"

"Trouble.  I wish you were able to practice a few times.  When I was a Ranger, our mentor restructured our physiological makeup to accept our powers.  Since we don't have that luxury now, each new Ranger has to endure the pain of your body's attempts to reject the change.   So you'll have to fight through the pain."

"I can handle it."  Ashley places her fingers through the grooves and holds the morpher that originally belonged to Billy in front of her.  "Blue Wolf!"  The armor, hers a rich blue, which represented the new age of Power Rangers adorns her body instantly.

"Now, press the button to lock on Tommy's signature and you'll be teleported to him."  She does as instructed and disappears from sight.

Purple Ranger catches the beast with a sidekick to the jaw that merely staggers him.  Rolling forward, she leaps up and hook kicks him in the jaw, this time, staggering him a little more.  Green Ranger rams his shoulder into Kubarra's lower back, toppling forward into Purple Ranger's back flip kick.  Panting, for twenty minutes had already elapsed in the intense battle, the two Rangers regroup for another assault.  Just then, a blue flash passes them and knocks Kubarra back down.  Blinking his eyes, the Green Ranger can make out the distinct curves of a female within the blue Ranger armor as the female lands a solid crescent kick to the rising beast's face.  With her leg still up, she brings it down across his head, then back somersaults away from a low slash.  Landing next to the two tired Rangers, she looks back at them from her crouched position.

"Nice of you to save me a piece."  Tommy smiles beneath his helmet and welcomes the added support.

"Three or three hundred.  It makes no difference in the end."  Kubarra spits out blood.  "I'll still kill you all."

End of part two

NEXT TIME ON POWER RANGERS: OMEGA – With three instead of two Rangers to deal with, Cornelius decides on a new battle plan and calls Kubarra back.  Meanwhile, Ashley and Saundra are filled in as Tommy and Maurice talk about where he was during the battle.  Stay tuned for the next chapter in the FEMME FATALE SAGA: Bird of Prey


	5. Bird of Prey

POWER RANGERS: Omega

_Femme Fatale Saga: _

_Part Three – Episode Five:  Bird of Prey_

_The gray clouds hovering overhead provide the perfect backdrop for Silver's mood.  Standing inches from a grave marker, the warrior clutches the stems of several lilies bound in silk.  As he lowers himself to one knee, his grip tightens._

_"I'm sorry."  He looks over up from his shameful bow, allowing his eyes to scan the words: JESSICA KYLE._

_Blue Ranger lands two quick jabs to Kubarra's face, staggering the monster. She ducks a wild swing, and Green Ranger leaps over her, connecting with a side ways scissor kick to the man-beast's face.  Kubarra falls onto his back and the three Rangers surround the fallen beast._

_"Give it up and go home."  Green Ranger folds his arms across his chest._

_Kubarra stands, and then stops as he hears someone speak to him in the miniature transceiver in his ear.  Report back now.  Time to employ a different strategy.__  Kubarra complies, walking away._

_"You have not seen the last of me Rangers."  He tosses the warning over his shoulder without glancing back.  A vortex of energy swirls about his feet and he disappears._

_"Okay.  Now with that out of the way, welcome to the team."  Green Ranger extends his hand to the new Ranger, who accepts it._

_"Nice to be able to say I'm part of it."_

_"Well, I suggest the three of us get to know one another back at your place," Purple Ranger adds.  Green Ranger holds their hands and instantly, they vanish._

_Maurice gently brushes his lips against Keisha's forehead.  After finding her bleeding and covered in fur, Maurice injected a sedative into her.  During her drug-induced slumber, he shaved off her fur and bandaged the long scratch marks on her arm.  I know Silver had something to do with this.  I'll make him change you back.  __He takes another look at her before leaving the room._

_"Kubarra, are you finished?" Tigress inquires._

_"Yes.  The Rangers didn't inflict that much injury to my body.  I'm ready now."_

_"Excellent," comments Cornelius.  "But, now is not the time.  We attack early morning unless otherwise directed. Do what you need in order to be prepared."_

_"Maurice!" yells Tommy, exploring the main floor of their home/store.  Maurice appears behind him.  "Where were you?" the younger man inquires without turning to face him._

_"Here.  Why?"_

_"Because a new monster is on the loose and I couldn't get in contact with you."_

_"I had personal matters to attend to."_

_Whirling around, Tommy remarks, "Now I see what Trini and Kim were talking about.  You act like your personal matters supercede every thing we do."_

_"I don't have time for this."  Tommy grabs his arm.  "I suggest you let go of me."_

_"Or what, you'll beat me up?  You are going to stay right here and meet the new Rangers and explain to me what is so personal that you'd risk me getting killed."_

_"New Rangers?"_

_"Yes," Tommy replies.  "Now sit down for a second."  Maurice does as told and Tommy releases his grasp.  Two females enter the room moments later._

_"You!" Maurice exclaims, staring directly at Saundra._

_"I thought you'd be excited sweetie."_

_"Hi, you must be Maurice.  Nice to meet you."  Ashley extends her hand and Maurice shakes it.  "I'm Ashley."_

_"Okay, now that acquaintances have been established, may I leave now?"_

_"Do whatever you want Mr. Mysterious.  Just answer your pages from now on."_

_Maurice flashes Tommy a cryptic look before exiting through the main store door._

_"Well, I think that went well."  Ashley hops onto the desk and kicks her legs out a few times.  Tommy's eyes travel the length of her body.  Although her assets were not as large as Saundra's, the younger female still possessed a beautiful figure with curves in all the right places.  Shaking his head, he leaves the two females to discuss their new appointment as Rangers._

_"Silver!" the rage filled yell of Black Ranger fills Keisha's apartment.  Perhaps Silver Guardian would return to the scene of the abduction like criminals on the two police serials on television.  _

_"Did you miss me?"  Black Ranger turns around quickly, a punch almost too fast for even Silver to detect slamming into the other man's chest, knocking him backwards.  Even as he stumbles, Black Ranger begins hammering in more inhumanly quick punches to his main adversary, ending the assault with a jumping spin kick that floors Silver._

_"What did you do to her?"  Black Ranger kneels against the fallen man's chest and wraps both hands around his neck.  A white aura endows the pinned down warrior._

_"Yaaaa!"  Silver's scream sends a surge of power from his body, expelling Black Ranger from his person and across the room.  Popping his neck, Silver stands back to his feet.  "Calm down.  It's not what you think."_

_"What happened then?" Black Ranger demands, already back on his feet._

_"I can't tell you that just yet."  Silver turns his back on Black Ranger and gazes out of the window.  "But let it be known that I had nothing to do with anything happening to her right now."_

_"Why should I believe you?"_

_Turning to face him, he replies, "Why shouldn't you?"_

_The simple melody fills the still air around the partially rebuilt docks.  Tommy sighs as yet again nothing stirs beneath the calm waters.  _

_"What are you doing?"  Tommy turns in response to the voice and finds Ashley standing a few feet away from him.  _

_"Trying to get in touch with spirits from the past."  He returns the dagger to his pocket and walks over to her.  "Why are you here?"_

_"I wanted to hear first hand how difficult it is to be a Ranger in this day and age.  And I wanted you to tell me.  No offense, but your friend doesn't seem like much of a people person."_

_"He's not, and none taken.  Let's get something to eat first."_

_Maurice stares out of the window aimlessly pondering his relationship with Silver.  What had the warrior meant by he had nothing to do with whatever is happening to Keisha?  _

_"Are you really trying to be my ally?"_

_"I see," Ashley remarks, sipping from her milkshake.  "So the last year it's just been you and Mr. Personality."_

_"Didn't know you cared."  Ashley nearly falls backwards in her chair at the sound of Maurice's voice._

_"He has a habit of doing that," Tommy smirks, biting into an apple. "So, are you through playing the role of 'one man army'?"_

_"For the time being, yes."  Maurice exits the kitchen and ventures upstairs to the room currently serving as Keisha's._

_Three thousand miles away, Silver stands atop a desolate skyscraper in the middle of former downtown NYC.  Ravaged by the constant battles of the last two decades, New York no longer resembled the world-renowned city it once had.  During the carnage that ensued, not all people shared the idea of being a "good neighbor."  Unlike many of the other former metropolises, New York's crime syndicates reestablished themselves as well as several paramilitary groups.  Currently keeping tabs on these events was a lone defender calling herself Raven.  Silver's reason for being in New York centered on her._

_"There's my little birdie."  His expertly trained eyes capture the faintest movement below him and he somersaults from the building._

_Black Ranger avoids a punch aimed at his head and twists away from a kick directed for his midsection.  Rolling between the other two Rangers, he distances himself just long enough to grab the wrist of Purple Ranger and kick her in the back of the knee.  Blue Ranger manages to kick him in the chest and he releases his wristlock.  Backing up to keep from falling, Black Ranger eyes the two females as they advance on him.  Attacking as a tandem, the two newest Rangers manage to land a few punches on their sparring partner, but not nearly enough to even stagger him.  A fist too fast for either of them to detect slams into Blue Ranger's shoulder, knocking her off balance.  A forearm shoots out and connects with Purple Ranger just below her throat.  Leaping into the air, Black Ranger connects with split kick, each heel finding its intended mark: the other two Ranger's jaws.  _

_"Ouch," Tommy cringes from the sidelines, munching on his third apple in the last two hours.  The only Ranger not engaged in the exercise, he opts to watch the two feisty females spar with Black Ranger to see if they would get through their first full contact practice without a few scrapes and bruises.  "You guys done yet?" he inquires, hopping off of the crate he is sitting on.  A final sidekick that sends Blue Ranger crashing into Purple Ranger answers the inquiry as Black Ranger strides over to the fallen Rangers._

_"You did well for the first time.  Better than Tommy in his first few sessions.  Get showered and dinner will be ready shortly."  Black Ranger walks off towards the house as the two females transform back into their civilian clothes._

_"Outstanding," Tommy applauds, smiling widely.  "I think you two have gotten to him."_

_"Whatever.  I think I'll go take that shower he talked about."  Saundra shakes her head a few times then pops her neck._

_"Me too," Ashley adds, running her fingers through her dampened and disheveled hair._

_"Think I'll join you two ladies."  The three of them head off towards the shower room located in the gym annex of the compound._

_Within the last hour, Silver has watched the woman calling herself Raven apprehend three thugs robbing couples in the alley next to a dance club, save a young child from getting hit by a car, and rough up a few dealers and pimps for information._

_"I applaud you," Silver calls from the shadows, the sound of clinking metal from his gauntlets echoing just loud enough for Raven to hear them._

_"I don't have time for men dressed up in tinfoil.  If you want your butt kicked, talk to my assistant.  I have a busy itinerary to complete."  She drops a smoke bomb and in the five seconds it takes the smoke to dissipate, she is gone.  Silver smirks, notes her interesting energy signature and teleports to it._

_"Nice trick.  Didn't think too many people were that fast."_

_"How the hell did you do that?"_

_"Just a little something I picked up along the way.  Well Miss Raven, can I call you Miss?"  She stares at him unblinkingly.  "Okay, just thought I'd be cordial."_

_"Tell me what it is you want and then be on your way."_

_"Direct and to the point.  I admire that in a woman.  That and a nice set of breasts.  But, I guess we can't get what we want all the time.  But I digress, the reason I have sought you out is to offer you a new career enhancement.  You're pretty talented now, but imagine if you worked for Omega.  The possibilities would be limited only to your imagination."_

_"Thanks but no thanks.  I'd rather be a Power Ranger than a slave."_

_Silver's laugh causes her to strike a defensive posture as he continues._

_"You're missing the point.  This is not a request, this is your only choice.  You join Omega or I kill you."  Raven is shocked.  She'd heard the phrase "faster than the blink of an eye", but she had not blinked and suddenly Silver is in her face.  "It would be the simplest of reflexes to unsheathe my blade and cut you down where you stand.  I offer you something grand in exchange for the trifle sum of your loyalty."_

_"Sorry to interrupt, but I could have sworn she said she'd rather be a Ranger.  Could be this helmet though."  Green Ranger adjusts his helmet._

_"Where's your body guard?"  Silver turns to face the young Ranger._

_"I gave him the day off.  Just me and you sunshine."_

_"Excuse me little girl, but I have other matters to attend to at the moment.  Why don't you take a little nap?"  The blow is unseen, but the pain spreads through her nerves quickly as she slumps into a heap._

_"Shame on you.  Thought you were better than that."  Green Ranger initiates the offense with a sidekick that is swatted away by the back of Silver's hand.  A sidekick of his own is avoided by the Ranger with a quick sidestep and a follow up punch that is met by a metallic gauntlet.  _

_"You've improved."_

_"I get better."  Green Ranger rams his knee into Silver's gut and then elbows him in the neck.  Spinning, he back fists his opponent then somersaults over him.  "I'd love to finish this off, but I've got what I came for."  Scooping the fallen vigilante into his arms, he waves to Silver.  "Buh bye now."_

_"Arrg!"  Silver's anger demolishes the sides of the two buildings he is standing in between.  "I can't believe I fell for that.  That kid knew he was no match for me and I played right into his game.  No matter.  Five Rangers will still not be enough to defeat Omega."  Calming down, Silver returns to his room to brood._

_Keisha rests quietly in her bed as Maurice pulls the discarded sheet over her body.  Raven watches him exhibit the type of care reserved for loved ones as his lips brush against Keisha's forehead before turning to address her._

_"Listen, I've chosen you because of what you've been doing for the people of New York.  You don't have to live here, but when we call you, you drop what you're doing and get here immediately.  Take your powers back with you New York if you desire.  Just remember what I just said."  Reaching into his pocket, he retrieves a bracelet similar to Saundra's and tosses it to her.  "Practice.  The more times you morph, the less severe the pain that follows the transformation."_

_"So I'm not obligated to live here?"_

_"I have more than enough females under this roof to look after as it is.  But you are welcomed.  Like I said, I'm not forcing you into any decisions.  If you don't like being a Ranger, give up the morpher and we'll replace you.  Understood?"_

_"Understood."_

_"Good.  Now.  It's morphing time."  Maurice completes the simple hand gestures that accompany his transformation._

_"White Falcon!"  As raw energy flows through her body and the suit materializes on her person, an unprecedented amount of pain shoots through her, nearly dropping her to one knee._

_"Get up!" Black Ranger commands, holding her by the forearm and half dragging her to her feet.  She finds her bearing and grits her teeth in spite of the pain.  "Raven no longer.  You are the White Falcon."_

_End of Part Three_

_NEXT TIME ON POWER RANGERS: OMEGA – With five Rangers to deal with, Omega launches his latest creation, Voltor, to aid Kubarra and Tigress in battle. _


	6. Rebirth

POWER RANGERS: OMEGA

FEMME FATALE SAGA Finale- Episode Six: REBIRTH 

Early morning rays of sunlight cast iridescent reflections off the surface of the water as Tommy peers down upon it.  Inhaling deeply, he withdraws his dagger and begins playing the familiar tune.  

After a third attempt, he ceases and crosses his legs and lowers his head in a meditative posture.  Suddenly, he is endowed in a green aura, generating enough energy that the rooftop begins to shake apart.  Still seated and still powering up, he plays the tune once more.  

The waters below begin to churn violently.  Looking up, Tommy smiles as the crest of Dragon Zord's head pierces the surface.

Omega's piercing gaze unnerves Cornelius as the nigh omnipotent being evaluates the current status of his mission.  As of two days ago, the Rangers were now five.  Three years ago, his minions could not defeat three and the third member was going on fifty years old.  

"Sire, what do you propose we do now?"

"Is Voltor complete?"

"Yes sire."

"Then inform Brendan to deploy his machination at once."  Tendrils of energy snake away from his body, causing the hairs on the back of Cornelius' neck to prick.

Maurice completes his bio-scan of Saundra. 

"You're adapting to the morphing process at a more rapid pace than even Tommy."  He shuts down the program and unlatches the restraints on either side of the horizontal scanning chamber.  Saundra, dressed only in a paper-thin gown, swings her naked legs over the sides and kicks her legs out a few times while smiling up at him.

"How long did it take you to adapt?"

"Faster than you."  He walks away from her to the computer station and plops down into the chair.  Saundra hops down from her seat and places a hand on his shoulder.

"You know, you don't have to shut everyone out all the time.  This isn't some lone crusade you're on."  She kisses him on the cheek before exiting the room.  Never looking up from his monitor, Maurice lets out a deep sigh and continues his work.

The cries and screams of children fill the air as the glistening black outer coating of Voltor emerges through the dust and debris of a school hallway.

Keisha sits up and shrieks, grabbing her head in the process.  

"Make him stop!  Make him stop!"  Maurice bursts into the room and grabs her shoulders.

"What's wrong?"  He runs his left hand through her hair, while drawing her closer with his right.  "Make who stop?"

"Him!  He's hurting the children!"  Her tears soak into his shirt and he tightly hugs her against his body.  Just then, Tommy pops his head into the room.

"Yo, Maurice, emergency."

"I'll be right back, okay?"  He kisses her forehead and reluctantly relinquishes his grasp before heading after Tommy.

"Where are the Rangers?" the mechanized male voice inquires as glass shatters around him merely from the sheer amount of energy emanating from it.  Its response comes in the form of two feet striking it in the back of the head.  Staggering forward, it rights itself and turns to face his attackers.  "The much heralded Power Rangers."

Black Ranger stands in the foreground, flanked to his left by Purple and White Ranger.  To his right, Green and Blue Ranger assume fighting stances.

"Just one today," Black Ranger quips, before White and Blue Ranger race forward.  The two females unleash a furry of punches that are parried by the stronger robot.  After it grows tired of its two attackers, it swings its massive arm with speed that defies even Maurice's eyes.  Both Rangers tumble to the side, holding their respective heads.  

"I'm guessing that was not the intended effect," Purple Ranger remarks, before approaching the robot.  Green Ranger leaps into the air, landing in front of her.  Feigning a sidekick, he leaps into the air and slams the opposite leg into the robot's temple.  The mechanical creature's head budges slightly before it retaliates with a lightning quick punch.  Green Ranger catches the arm, but the force nearly rips his arms out of socket.  Seizing the opportunity, Purple Ranger drives punch after punch into Voltor's stomach.  Voltor lashes out his free arm, just missing the crouching Ranger.  Back on their feet, Blue and White Ranger shoulder ram Voltor in the back.  Using the momentum, Green Ranger flips the robot over.  Suddenly, Black Ranger descends from high in the air, landing both feet on the fallen warrior's chest.  The impact cracks the tiles beneath them as well as the concrete further down.  Somersaulting off it, Black Ranger lands near his comrades.  Suddenly, their attention is diverted towards the sound of clapping.

"Bravo.  I do say Rangers, jolly good show."  The Rangers look at the man beast Kubarra applauding their efforts and utilizing a faux English accent.  To his right, the seductive Tigress smiles, still devoid of fur on her face.

"Nice of the two of you to join us."  Green Ranger crosses his arms over his chest.  "Tell me, did you guys bring your chaperone with you?"

"Our curfew's not up yet."  Kubarra covers the length of courtyard outside the hallway in a matter of seconds.  Green Ranger races towards him and the two find themselves entangled in one another's arms.  

"Isn't that precious.  A boy and his dog," White Ranger comments, striking a pose as she notices that Voltor is back to its feet.  

"Listen up," Black Ranger orders.  "You two go play tag with the kitty.  And you, go help wonder boy with the puppy."

"And what about you lone Ranger?  Plan on fighting the big black shiny thing without me?"  Purple Ranger grabs hold of his arm and squeezes it for emphasis.

"Something like that.  Now get going!"  He slams his shoulder into Voltor's stomach, shoving him back a few steps before jumping back and kicking him before the distant affects the potency of the attack.  Purple Ranger runs to the broken window where Green Ranger and Kubarra have just exited to again wind up in the courtyard.

Tigress circles White and Blue Ranger.  Springing forward, she launches an onslaught of slashes and punches that the two Rangers manage to block.  Each Ranger manages to grab an arm and slam their knees into her gut.  They then both axe kick her in the neck.

Green Ranger is hurled into a wall with enough force that four bricks are jarred loose.  Purple Ranger jumps into the air and knees Kubarra in the back of the head, toppling him forward.  She rushes over to Green Ranger and helps him to his feet.

"Looks like someone's been eating his Puppy Chow."

Using his right hand, Black Ranger skids to a halt before hitting the wall behind him.  Voltor once again transcends any normal limitations of speed and slams a knee to Black Ranger's chest.  Even as pain erupts throughout his body, Black Ranger counters with a forearm to the side of the head that knocks Voltor off balance and a sweep that knocks him down.  Grasping his chest, Black Ranger sucks in as much oxygen as his bruised sternum will allow.

Tigress sidekicks White Ranger in the neck and contorts her body in a way to kick Blue Ranger in the top of the head.  Both Rangers regain their composure as Tigress smiles at them and beckons them forward.  

Green Ranger locks a tight grip around Kubarra's head and leaps forward with him, planting the monster's face into the dirt.  Purple Ranger lands an elbow drop to the back of his neck and the two Rangers strike their fighting stances as the dirt-caked fangs of Kubarra come into view.

"Power Sword!"  The legendary blade of the original Red Ranger materializes in Black Ranger's hand, moments before the robot's arm comes crashing down on him.  Pushing upwards, he frees enough space to stand.

"Nice toy you got there."  Voltor blocks the diagonal slices with his reinforced wrist guards.

White Ranger wraps her legs around Tigress's waist and twists her own waist in order to take the feline off her feet.  

"I have an idea," Blue Ranger says, as White Ranger flips back onto her feet.  "Follow me."

The two of them run towards Kubarra and land drop kicks to his unguarded back, causing him to dig a shallow trench with his jaw.

"Damn you!"  He spits out dirt and grass and now he looks up at four Rangers.

"So what's the plan?" inquires White Ranger.

"Switch our tactics.  Me and you against beast boy, them against cat girl, then alternate again.  Keep them guessing as to our pattern of attack."

"I'm glad we did a good job of picking the Blue Ranger," Green Ranger remarks before punching the nearly unseen Tigress.  

Black Ranger and Voltor lock hands and at first, Voltor is pushing Black Ranger to one knee.  Sensing the overwhelming strength, Black Ranger compensates for it by pouring energy into his fatiguing muscles.  A bright white aura flares up around him and he is able to stand again.

"What's this?  Impossible.  How can you stand against my might?  No human, Ranger or not, is that strong."

"Funny thing about 'new generations.'  They tend to ascend the plateaus that their predecessors peaked at."  His aura flares dramatically and he pulls Voltor into a knee strike and a head butt.  Still infused by his aura, he slams an elbow into the machination's neck and spin kicks it into the wall.  Hefting the larger opponent onto his shoulder, he rams the robot head first into said wall, imbedding it within the bricks and concrete that comprise it.  Slumping down, Black Ranger pants heavily as his opponent lie motionless.

Kubarra's pupils dilate as his biceps and quadriceps enlarge.  

"Don't do it Kubarra!" admonishes Tigress as she backhands Purple Ranger.

"Shut up Tigress.  These punks have pissed me off."  His fangs elongate, as do his claws.  With speed Voltor would be impressed by, the beast snatches Green Ranger in one hand, drags him along for the ride, and clotheslines White Ranger in the space of a heartbeat.  A sidekick from Blue Ranger is swatted away, and followed up with a kick to her midsection that crumples her around his foot.  Purple Ranger feigns a sweep, then twists her body in the air and connects with a kick to Tigress's body.  Kubarra punches the approaching Ranger in the stomach with his free hand and slams Green Ranger on top of her.  

Black Ranger ducks a punch aimed for his head and slams his palm into the under arm of Voltor.  He then lands four punches to the midsection before jump spin kicking it in the jaw.  Voltor stumbles back, but catches himself on the toes of his left foot.  Black Ranger rushes forward, unsure of what his next course of action should be.

Purple Ranger is sent flying across the courtyard and slams into the ballerina-like posing Voltor, knocking him completely off-balance.  Black Ranger ceases his forward progression in utter shock.  Looking over his shoulder, he witnesses the transformed Kubarra, now towering at over seven feet, bigger muscles, and speed that physical law should not allow given the total increase in size.  He recalls his blade and conjuring up all his power, drives it into the Robot's back, failing in destroying it, but succeeding in keeping it from moving for the present moment.  Helping Purple Ranger to her feet, he glances back at the action just in time to see White Ranger punched with enough force she falls without stagger.  Blue Ranger struggles beneath the behemoth's foot and Green Ranger dangles lifelessly from the beast's grasp.  Something with Black Ranger snaps, and he growls animalistic as once again his aura of energy lashes out violently, blowing Purple Ranger off her feet.  At a full sprint, he is upon the monster before the blink of an eye.  Jumping into the air, he grabs a handful of fur, and yanks Kubarra's head downwards so that it is even with him when his feet hit the ground.  Black Ranger then proceeds to slam three punches into his cheek with his free hand.  Cocking back, he slams a fourth punch into his face and relinquishes the grip, sending the monster toppling to the ground.   The others regroup.

"Thanks for the save," Blue Ranger says, holding her sore stomach. Her words reach deaf ears as Black Ranger continues his onslaught.  The present fades into visions of the past as Green Ranger is replaced with an image of Tommy Sr. dangling from a different monster's grasp, a vacant look in his eyes.  

Kubarra finds his legs again, only to have them taken from beneath him with a drop kick to the shins.   Flipping onto his feet, Black Ranger smashes the heels of his boots into Kubarra's shoulder blades.

"Power Sword!"  The almost bestial summoning of his weapon stuns the females as the sword writhes free of Voltor and finds itself in his grasp.  

"Not again!" Raising the sword above his head with both hands, he plunges it into Kubarra's lower back.  A pitiful howl resonates off the remaining bricks in the courtyard.

"No!" screams Tigress, kicking the Black Ranger with enough force, that although it doesn't hurt him, knocks him off of her brother.  

Turning the bleeding canine so that she can see his face, tears begin to well up in her eyes as thin trails of blood trickle down both sides of his mouth, matting the fur around them.  Not caring about a witty retort before exiting, the two vanish from site and Black Ranger's aura finally diminishes and he collapses.  Purple Ranger removes her helmet and rushes to his side.  White and Blue help Green Ranger, who is just regaining consciousness, to his feet.

"What the hell was that?" Saundra demands, removing the shaking Ranger's helmet in order to look Maurice in his eyes.

"Never again," he mutters just above a whisper as Saundra brings his head against her breasts, rocking him gently.

Devoid of his helmet, Tommy walks over to the fallen Voltor, who has gotten to his knees.  Gripping the handle of the Power Sword tightly, he swings down in a powerful arc, severing the head of Voltor.  White Ranger puts her hand on his shoulder and teleports as the sounds of people become audible.

"He's pretty far gone Tigress," Cornelius informs her, scanning the readouts spewing from the printer.  Tigress, her cheeks streaked from her tears, paces about the lab.

"What about his healing factor?  Why isn't it kicking in?"

"I don't think he has one anymore."  Shockingly, Tigress finds herself throttling the doctor.  "What are you doing?" he demands, choking out his question.  

"What do you mean?  Did you take it from him?"

He slaps her before answering.  "Don't ever do that again.  No, I did not.  His transformation did.  For that type of physics defying size, speed, and strength increase, something had to be sacrificed."  The two of them look at the comatose beast.  As another torrent of tears threatens to flood her eyes, Tigress makes a decision.

"Make me more powerful that Kubarra."

"What?"

"I know you don't have super-hearing, but I know you heard me."

"It takes time, trials.  So many things to factor in.  And lest we forget the no healing factor as well."

"I don't care.  As long as I have the power to crush the Black Ranger, he can cripple me so long as I see him draw his last breath."

"You're so sexy when you talk like that."  He pushes her onto a table and begins kissing and fondling her.  She shoves him off.

"Get to work doctor."  She exits.  Cornelius sighs, and turns around to find himself eye to eye with Silver in his civilian clothing.

"Would you please stop doing that?"

"Why, and miss these priceless moments.  Seems your pet kitty doesn't want to give it up tonight.  Too bad.  Not enough kitty can affect productivity."  He laughs before leaving the fuming doctor to his work.

"Ouch!" Tommy yelps, as Ashley dabs an alcoholic swab on his bruised forehead.

"You big baby," she giggles, and then flinches as she feels the sting on astringent against the bruise on her leg.  "That hurt, you jerk."

"Like mine didn't?" he smiles up at her, savoring the sight of her face.

"Just when I think I'm making progress, something else happens.  Get rid of the fur, and now I'm a damn psychic."  Keisha hugs her legs tightly as Maurice, in a rare mood, clips her toenails. 

"Whatever happens, you know I'll be here."  He looks up from his task in order to flash her a genuine smile.  "All done.  Would you like me to bathe you as well?"

"Tempting," she says, entertaining the thought as she straightens her legs, "But I think I can handle it."

"Maurice!" Saundra yells, "Tommy wants you."  Saundra shoos him off with a reassuring smile.

Omega stands, something he has rarely done since suffering a debilitating injury at the hands of Tommy Sr. An injury, that for the time being keeps him from fighting the Rangers on his own as he would like.  _Who would have guessed that one man would have been able to damage what entire armies could not__._  His thoughts trail off as he traverses the marbled floor to a small incline in the center of his chamber.  A cylindrical light awaits him and he kneels in its glow, cursing his creators for allowing him to feel pain.

Maurice stares at the four people seated at the kitchen table, hands stacked on atop each other.

"And you two encourage this little show of teamwork?"  He flashes a look at the two alumni smiling brightly.  Trini and Kimberly both nod their heads as Tommy looks at him with a silent plea in his eyes.  "Ahh, what the hell.  As long as the bad guys still think I'm a hard ass."  

Maurice places his left hand atop the pile of hands and each Ranger places their right atop his.  Placing his right hand on the top of the stack, he smirks as they lower their hands, and then bring them up.

"POWER RANGERS!!!" they yell in unison.

END OF FEMME FATALE SAGA

NEXT TIME ON POWER RANGERS: OMEGA – Maurice and Tommy venture to where Tommy Sr. fell during there last battle as a trio.  Elsewhere, Silver visits an acquaintance from the past.


	7. Anniversary

POWER RANGERS: OMEGA

Episode Seven – "Anniversary"

A tall shadow descends across Ella Kyle's porch.  Although blinded from an attack by Omega's forces after his reemergence, she continues to maintain an upbeat demeanor and sweet disposition towards anyone that took the time to grace her porch.  Looking up, she smiles warmly at her guest as she makes room for him on the porch swing. 

"Good morning Miss Ella, it's been a long time."  Malik kisses her cheek before sitting down next to her.  Dressed in a pair of dark slacks and boots, he completes the ensemble with a black t-shirt that hugs his muscular upper body.

"It sure has baby," the elder woman responds, her smile growing brighter as her hand finds a resting spot on his knee.

Tommy racks the five hundred pounds of weight and focuses his attention on Ashley as she mimics the motions of Trini's kung fu routine.  The grace of both females captivates him, but Ashley more so as he had seen Trini perform similar routines countless times before.   Serenity washes over him and he ignores the tightness in his chest as Ashley flawlessly showcases her ability.  His eyes trace the subtle curves of her body that even the bulky sweat suit failed to conceal completely.   Shaking his head, he attempts to regain his concentration on the fighting style, but submits to his eyes' desire and continues staring at her figure.

Keisha reads a passage from the reading text as her class listens on intently.  For the past month since she had been living with Maurice and the others, Maurice volunteered to pick up every one of her students and bus them to his place for their education.  Again, words alone could not express how much Maurice meant to her.  Teaching these children, who seemed to not only adore her, but the subject matter being taught, always made her feel needed and filled so many of the holes created in her heart from the losses of the past two decades.   Silently, Maurice watches from the doorway.

"How did he do that?" Saundra inquires of Trini as the two ladies go over figures from this month's sales.

"Do what?" Trini ponders, as she had no idea as to what Saundra was referring to.  Dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a tank top, she uncurls her legs and looks up.

"Maurice snapped the other day during the fight and he began to glow.  I've never seen anyone glow before and that includes Power Rangers."

"A couple of them have in the past," Trini replies, removing her glasses and shifting focus to the younger woman.  "But it always had something to do with the morphing grid.  Maurice, well, he and Tommy are a little different."

"Different how?"

"It seems that not only can they tap into the energy given out by the morphing gird, but they can actually draw pure energy from within their own body.  As you know, all living things have some form of bioelectrical energy coursing through them.  There have been many stories about tapping into this reserve to increase strength or speed in times of extreme anguish or need."

"An adrenaline rush?"

"In a way, but take it a few steps further.  Now, you're faster, stronger, whatever for that brief moment.  Imagine if you could manipulate that energy so as to sustain it for several minutes at a time.  Instantly turn the tide of a battle.  Or even this, the ability to project that energy in a wave of sphere capable of more destruction than that person's fist.  I'd heard about legendary martial arts masters who could do this and even make visible auras like Tommy and Maurice, but not to the extent these two can."

"Can anyone learn it?"

"Hard to say.  Indications would point to yes, seeing as the two of them are normal as far as human genetics go.  They've just been pushing their bodies beyond normal physical limitations for the past three and a half years, more so in the last year since we lost Tommy Sr."  Trini pauses for a moment as the sadness passes through her.  Saundra pats her shoulder supportively.

Keisha dismisses her class and they bound happily to Kimberly, this afternoon's designated driver.  Sighing contentedly, she folds her arms and smiles.  Maurice enters the room and hugs her shoulders.

"How are you doing?"

"Better.  I've only had two episodes since last week and no recurrence of the fur."

"Good."  He hugs her tighter.  "Listen, Tommy and I are gonna be gone for the weekend.  Will you be okay alone?"

"Yes, I'll be fine.  Remember, there are four other females in the house.  Go do whatever you need to do.  You spend all your free time with me.  Go have a little fun."  She smiles and kisses his cheek.

"Sure?"

"Positive."  He releases the hug and exits the room.

Tommy zips his suitcase just as the door opens.

"Where are the two of you going?" Ashley inquires, arms folded as she leans against his doorframe.

"Old Angel Grove," he replies, lifting the heavy suitcase with minimal effort.

"We've barely been a team for a week and the two strongest members just decide to disappear on us."   Tommy senses the building emotion within his beautiful teammate.  He notes the twin ponytails draped over her shoulders as well as the strand of hair curled over her forehead.  She has since discarded her workout garbs as he admires the red tank top that showcased her tennis ball sized breasts, as well as the short blue jeans several inches above her knee.  His eyes linger on the well-toned muscles of her legs before he passes by her.  Stopping, he kisses her on the cheek and continues through the hallway without a word, leaving the nineteen year old angrier than she had been.

Sweat drenched and breathing shallowly, Maurice hefts the seven hundred pounds of weight from his chest.  Holding his arms up with a slight bend in his elbows, he holds the final rep of his fifteen, then racks it back on the bar.  Inhaling deeply, he sits up, allowing the soreness in his shoulders and chest an opportunity to dissipate.  His thoughts trail towards Keisha's conditions and the words of his rival just over a week ago.  Standing from the bench, he removes the black muscle shirt he wears and heads towards the showers.  His thoughts are occupied with the coming days.  

"Have you talked to your brother?" Ella inquires, the two of them now inside the house.  Her disability has never impaired her from her daily duties.  Placing the steaming cup of cocoa before Malik, she awaits his response.

"A few days before I visited Jessica.  He didn't seem too happy with me that day."

"Can't blame him."  The sixty-five year old woman cups his chin and raises it up.  "The two of you are all you have to remind you of the temporary peace the world had.  Don't lose that as well.  Nothing, especially in the world we live in, is more important than family.  It would do the two of you well to not forget that."

"Yes ma'am.  I always keep that in mind when I see him."  He takes a long sip from the sweet liquid and savors the pure chocolate that Ella always melted into it.  Looking up from his cup, he stares directly in her eyes.  An immeasurably deep sadness within his eyes reflects from hers.  "How do you do it?  How can you not feel this overwhelming guilt that makes me wanna die?"

""I do feel the guilt," she assures him, her steady hand finding its way to his.  "I've just come to terms with it.  Jessica did what she felt was needed to protect us.  No one made that decision but her.  Remember, she is the one that snuck out that night after her mother forbade it.  It took me a while, but I realized one thing.  Feeling guilty only makes your life less tolerable, something Jessica would not accept for either of us.  She did what she did in hopes that _her family would be spared.  It's human nature to feel guilty when someone dies for you.  So I try to keep in perspective that by living my life to the fullest everyday, I honor her."_

"How is it that you can be so bright and warm in all this darkness?"

"I've been through tough times before and survived when I didn't think I could.  It's the way the world works.  Hard times come and we either rise to face them, or cower in their wake."   Malik nods his head, forgetting momentarily that she is without sight.

"But, I often find myself wondering, what if I hadn't took so long to get her message?"

"She called you after she left the house.  You wouldn't have made it.  Besides, I don't think Jessica's death is the only thing weighing heavily on your mind."  He nods in agreement.

Tommy pulls his coat over his shoulders as Ashley watches from the stairway.  

"I'd love to see you and the kid play love connection, but this is not the time.  But I will tell you, I can tell by the way he looks at you, that he thinks you're special."  As usual, Maurice seemingly pops up from nowhere to interject his two cents, as Ashley looks at him speechless. Maurice has since attired himself in a pair of black jeans, tennis shoes, and green short-sleeved button up shirt.  Trini hugs Tommy as he walks outside.

"Where's Ashley?" he inquires, not looking back.

"Worried about her?"

"Maybe.  Forget it.  See you soon."  He proceeds to the car in silence.  

Maurice approaches Trini and Kimberly and shocks everyone with his uncharacteristic displays of public affection.  He hugs Trini tightly and kisses Kimberly on the cheek before making his exit.

"Take care of each other while we're gone."

Kimberly stares at the retreating form of Maurice then directs her attention to Trini, who is equally stunned.

"Did they switch places or something?" the former Pink Ranger inquires.

"Who can ever tell with those two?"

Tigress grits her teeth as her nerves are bombarded by pure bioelectrical energy.  She writhes in pain, but makes no verbal indication as to the pain her body is enduring.  Her heart feels as if it will burst as the doctor attempts to compensate for the electrical pulses that regulate the organ.  

"Soon, you will be three times stronger than your brother in his transformed state," he informs her, kissing her delicately on the forehead as this session, the first of four, expires.  Tigress says nothing in response, as the mere thought of opening her mouth racks her with pain.  Appropriately enough however, the thoughts of her vengeance ease the discomfort.

Raven glances down at her morpher as she walks through the uncommonly desolate streets of New York.  For the past week, her body had been through an enormous amount of physical changes.  Even unmorphed, she was stronger, faster, more agile, and more perceptive.   And those attributes only increased when her metamorphosis into a Ranger transpires.  

"Unbelievable," she comments aloud as she passes through a stretch of neighborhood affectionately dubbed "Lucifer Lane."  Although no physical trace of human presence could be found, Raven detects a residual aura of those who had kept tonight's fires burning which earned the neighborhood its tag.  Being trained to fight crime originally as a police officer and later as a vigilante, she had always possessed the uncanny ability to sense the presence of people.  But now, she is able to sense where they have been in a given amount of time.

"Welcome," bellows the amiable proprietor of New Hope Inn.  Mannie Powell, a jovial man who's adequate proportions invoked thoughts of a young Santa Clause, ushers Tommy and Maurice inside.  "How are you two?"

"You know how it goes.  Save a few lives, get a letter bomb in the mail."  Tommy retorts, hugging the man tightly.

"Still experiencing the backwash, I see.  So the usual?"

"Yep," Maurice chimes in, looking over the décor.  "Nice ambience."

"Thanks.  I was doing renovations last month, and thought that royal purple had a soothing feel to it."

"I don't know about Mr. 'I have to wear black in all my outfits,' but it's working for me."  Tommy takes in an eye full of the carpets and drapes.

"Enough tranquility for the moment," Maurice interrupts.  "So how do the brackets look?"  Mannie thumbs through the ledger containing the names and positions of the fighters in this year's tournament.  "Seems like you drew Mr. OG for the first round.  Tommy, you have Kylie."

"Damn.  I hate fighting her so early.  I always have to use my better moves against her.  So is our room ready?"

"Of course.  Just sign the paperwork and I'll help you and Maurice upstairs."  A few feet away from them, Maurice gazes at a man seated at the bar on the opposite side of the lobby.  His curiosity overcomes him and he approaches the man and engages him in conversation.

Tommy slips the paperwork back across the desk.  "Well, here's your key and a printout of the fighting brackets."

"Thanks.  See you in a bit."  Tommy accepts the keys and printout.  Looking around, he watches as Maurice smirks at a man throwing back shots of alcohol and walk away.  "Okay, what was that all about?"  Without a word, Maurice grabs his things and heads towards the elevator.  Tommy shrugs his shoulders and follows.

"So," Tommy begins, drying his damp hair, "who was that?"

"The last person I'd expect to see here," Maurice replies cryptically. 

"Well, that's very informative.  Are we playing 20 questions?"

"I don't know, are we?  Let's go."  He rises from his chair and exits the room.  Tommy hurriedly pulls the red muscle shirt over his head and grabs his tennis shoes as he races behind him.

Saundra and Ashley take their seats on the couch.  Trini inserts a videodisc in the player and sits between the two of them.  Depressing the play button on the remote control, the information boots up and Maurice appears on the monitor, devoid of his shirt.  Saundra's eyes widen a bit as she takes in the chiseled pectorals and abdominal muscles of the young man.

"Now watch carefully," Trini instructs.  The two females nod as the camera pans back to reveals Tommy.  He too is devoid of a shirt, causing Ashley to blush.  The two fighters bow to one another then back away.  Maurice bends forward slightly and crosses his arms so that the sides of his fist touch the opposite shoulder.  Tommy bends his knees slightly and curls his arms to the side at ninety-degree angles.  Suddenly, white auras endow the two of them.  The tiles nearest their feet begin to crack.  

Still imbued by their auras, the two dash forward at a speed almost too fast for even the quick action capture camera to keep up with.  They collide forearms, temporarily blinding the lens.  As the flash of light disperses, they immediately begin unleashing a barrage of punches, meeting only with each other's defense.  Leaping into the air, the camera operator runs backwards then points up as the two Rangers land on the upper deck of the gym and continue throwing punches in rapid fire succession.  Maurice gains the upper hand and knees Tommy in the gut.  Tommy back flips away and Maurice lunges forward with a kick that he avoids.  Countering with a kick of his own, Tommy connects and knocks Maurice back a step.  Trini pauses the playback.

"And that was just them without their Ranger powers."  The two other women look at Trini in disbelief.

"I can see why those two have yet to be killed.  They're amazing."  Saundra stares at the stilled image of Maurice, his aura flaring brightly.  Ashley notes the smile on Tommy's face despite the thin trail of blood on his chin.

The two fighters bounce around as the tournament's opening round commences.  T.D. Pallow, a middleweight boxer, avoids a punch aimed at his head.  Utilizing his nimble speed and grace, he maneuvers close enough to land two quick jabs to Vincent LeBeough's face, staggering the shoot-fighter.  A powerful hook from the boxer is ducked and countered with a kick to the side of the shin.  T.D. hops back on his good leg, just avoiding another hook kick aimed at his midsection.  Bouncing around, the two attempt to detect an opening.  LeBeough throws a powerful front thrust kick that although blocked, knocks T.D. backwards.  As the slightly smaller man stumbles back, LeBeough leaps into the air and executes a highlight reel perfect spin kick that strikes T.D. in the chin and sends the young man crashing to the floor.  Landing on the toes of one foot, he watches as his opponent attempts to stand up before the ten count.  He can't, and LeBeough is declared the winner.  The referee holds his hand in victory and LeBeough blows kisses to the females in attendance.

"Well, that was entertaining," Maurice remarks.  "You're next."

"Yep, yep.  Time to show these nice folks a little of that Power Ranger magic."  Tommy stands from his seat and enters the cage surrounding the arena.  

"The following contest is a submissions rule match.  In this corner, the lovely, and deadly Kylie Richards!"  The announcer directs the spotlight to Kylie's corner, where the attractive raven-haired fighter sits in a full split stretching.  Placing her hands palm down, she pushes herself into a handstand, then lowers her legs into a bridge, exhibiting her limberness.  Straightening herself up, she smiles, appreciating the skill of her opponent.

"And in this corner, the defending champion.  Tommy Oliver Jr.!"  The spotlight casts its luminescence upon the young man as he rises from his deep knee bend and bends at the waist.  Grasping his calf muscles, he touches his forehead to his knees, and stands back up.  "Positions."  They bow to one another and strike stances.  "Fight!"  The referee steps in and the fight begins.

Kylie initiates the offense with a crescent kick, which Tommy avoids by stepping back.  Snapping his neck to the side, he barely avoids a quick jab to the face.  He blocks another with his forearm and counters with a front kick that is blocked by her forearm.  She leaps back, bringing her leg up and skims the top of his hair as he ducks.  He follows up with an uppercut that she slaps away with the back of her hand.  Tommy jumps back, a bright smile on his face.  Kylie returns the smile, remembering last year when the two met in the semi-finals.

Dashing forward, Tommy slams his forearm into hers then slams his fist into her stomach, causing her to gasp.  Backing away, she throws a sidekick to free some space between the two of them.  Tommy sidesteps it and swings his leg at her head.  Ducking, she tucks her body and rolls to the opposite side.  Springing up, she swings one leg at him.  As it is met with a forearm, she swings the other and catches him in the side of the head, stumbling him backwards.  Maurice smiles as Kylie flips back on to her feet as Tommy rubs his head.

Kylie follows up and jump kicks him in the chest, knocking him on his back despite him having blocked it.  Aiming her heel at his neck, he rolls over onto his stomach predictably, and Kylie hooks his arm and rolls onto his back, hooking the arm and pulling it backwards.  Before she can look the other arm, Tommy rolls with her and uses his free hand to chop her across the shoulder.  They roll away from one another, both rising to one knee and staring each other down.  The crowd applauds wildly as the two combatants get to their feet and rush forward.  Locking hands, Tommy easily overpowers her.  Using the leverage to her advantage, she sticks her foot into his gut and flips him over her head.  Still holding onto her hands, Tommy yanks her to her feet as he stands.  Back to back, he holds her shorter arms painfully above his head.  Hoisting her up, he flips her back in front of him, releases one arm and drives her down to the ground.  On the way down, however, she punches him just below his throat, causing him to release his grip on her other arm.  She rolls back to her feet and holds her injured arm.

Tommy flips back to his feet as Kylie dashes forward and feigns a sidekick.  Tommy catches the foot, so Kylie swings the opposite leg at his head.  He ducks that, but Kylie swings it again, connecting the second time.  Tommy falls to his knees and Kylie quickly maneuvers behind him.  Kneeing him in the lower back, she presses it into his spine and wraps the joint of her elbow around his neck, bending his head back in the process.  Tommy strains as the pain courses through his body.  Kylie applies more pressure to the hold.

Utilizing his exceptionally strong neck muscles, he leans forward, alleviating the pain in his back and intensifying the one in his neck.  Concentrating, he rolls forward, landing on top of her.  Raising his legs up, he distributes all his weight across her upper body, causing her to gasp in an attempt to obtain oxygen.  She finally releases the hold and he rolls off of her.  As she sits up, Tommy drops kicks her back down.  Grabbing her ankle, he turns her on her stomach and twists the ankle.  She writhes in pain as the painful ankle lock sends bolts of pain through her tendon.  Gritting her teeth, she twists one way, then the other, building momentum.  Twisting one last time, her leg connects with his wrist and she yanks free of the hold.  Quickly, she hobbles over and aims a kick at his shin.  Connecting, she watches as he falls forward and onto her.  

Tommy lands chest first across her upturned elbows.  They both get to their feet and Kylie attempts to sweep him down.  Jumping the sweep, he springs back in the air, just as Kylie finishes her twisting motion.  Lying out in mid-air, Tommy slams his foot into her head as she looks up and he descends back to the ground.  Without hesitation, Tommy locks in the ankle lock again, twisting harder and staying lower to the ground.  With no other option, she taps the arena floor, signaling her concession of defeat.

"The winner of this match, Tommy Oliver Jr.!"  Tommy releases the hold and offers his hand.  Kylie slaps it away and stands, favoring her ankle.  Tommy has his hand raised.

As Tommy takes his seat, he watches the opposite end of the arena as the man he saw earlier enters.  Maurice smirks just as he did earlier in the evening and enters through the other entrance.

"The following contest is set for two falls.  Introducing first, in this corner Mr. X!"  The man disrobes, tossing the silken garment to his attendant.  She folds it and returns to her seat, placing the robe in his lap.

"And in this corner, last year's runner up and the previous year's champion, Maurice!"  Maurice bows to the man and strikes a stance.

"What the hell is going on between those two?" Tommy wonders aloud.

THE END, FOR NOW

Next Time, on Power Rangers: Omega – The mystery man is revealed after the fight.  Elsewhere, Saundra and Ashley help Raven fight a new robotic menace calling himself Ryker. 


End file.
